Thomas Partey will miss Ghana’s opening World Cup match in Toronto on Wednesday after his entry to Canada was denied. The midfielder, who previously played for Arsenal and is currently with Villarreal, faced legal issues that have complicated his international availability.
In July 2025, Partey was charged with five counts of rape along with one count of sexual assault by the Metropolitan police, to which he pleaded not guilty. Following those charges, he faced two additional counts of rape in February, again entering a not guilty plea.
Despite these challenges, the 32-year-old successfully traveled to the United States with the Ghanaian national team on June 4 and has been training in Boston ahead of the World Cup. Ghana is set to compete in the same group as England and will open their tournament against Panama. However, FIFA announced on Friday that the Canadian government had rejected Partey’s visa application.
“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 organization stated. Partey, who previously resided in Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, transferred to Arsenal from Atlético Madrid in a deal valued at around £45 million in 2020, before departing the club in June of the previous year.
On the issue of Partey’s visa, Canada’s immigration department emphasized that its staff applies rules consistently and without exception. They noted that they cannot disclose details about individual cases without the signed consent of the individuals involved.
The department stated that officers are trained decision-makers who assess an individual’s eligibility and admissibility under Canadian immigration laws.
Ghana’s next match is against England, who will face Croatia in their opening game on the same day.
