Star midfielder Thomas Partey will miss Ghana’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Panama on June 17 after being denied entry into Canada. According to a report published in The Athletic on Friday (June 12), the former Arsenal star, who now plays for Villarreal in La Liga, will play no part in the African side’s opening match of the ongoing 48-team tournament.
Partey was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police in July 2025. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in September 2025. In February 2026, he was charged with two additional counts of rape and again pleaded not guilty in April.
Ghana’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener is scheduled to be played at BMO Field in Toronto on Wednesday. However,
it has been confirmed that Partey cannot enter Canada and, therefore, will be unavailable for the match. Ghana’s next two Group L fixtures are against England at Gillette Stadium in Boston on June 23 and against Croatia at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on June 27, and Partey is eligible to feature in both matches.
“FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government. FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country,” The Athletic quoted a FIFA statement as saying.
According to the available information, the Canadian government states that individuals who have committed or been convicted of certain crimes may be deemed inadmissible to Canada.
Partey has been charged and is awaiting trial, but he has not been convicted of any offence.
Partey’s record for Ghana
Thomas Partey has played 58 international matches for Ghana since making his debut in 2016 and has scored 16 goals. He was also among Ghana’s key performers during the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifiers, finding the back of the net three times.
