Thomas Partey will miss Ghana World Cup opener after being denied entry to Canada
Ghanaian footballer Thomas Partey will not be allowed to feature in his country's first World Cup game as he has been denied entry into Canada.
Ghana start their World Cup with a game against Panama in Toronto Stadium, but Partey will not be on the pitch or even in the country as the Canadian government has refused his visa application.
He is still part of their squad and will be able to play in their remaining group fixtures against England and Croatia, both of which take place in the US.
Partey and the rest of the Ghana squad arrived in the US on 4 June and have since been situated in their training camp in Rhode Island.
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Their first game against Panama will be played on 17 June local time, while in the UK people will be able to see it kick off at midnight on 18 June.
A FIFA statement to The Athletic said: “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.”
Last year Partey, formerly an Arsenal footballer and now playing in Spain for Villareal, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault to which he has pleaded not guilty.
The footballer also pleaded not guilty to two further charges of rape brought against him this February.
Partey is still awaiting trial which was originally scheduled for November 2026 but has been delayed until 8 June 2027, and his bail conditions require him to provide notice if he is travelling abroad.
Partey not being allowed into Canada means if the Ghanaian national team qualifies from their group and has to play any knockout games in Canada the midfielder will also not be able to participate in those.
The 32-year-old has played 58 times for his country, making his first appearances back in 2016, he was also part of the squad that played in the 2022 World Cup.
Since his charges he has played football in the UK, once during a Villareal game against Tottenham Hotspur in September 2025 and earlier this month when Ghana played Wales in a warm up game ahead of the World Cup.
Joe Harker