Thomas Partey breaks silence on missing World Cup opener after being denied entry into Canada
Thomas Partey has spoken out for the first time since being denied entry into Canada for Ghana's first World Cup fixture.
Partey, 33, was unavailable for Ghana's opening World Cup victory over Panama as he denied a visa to gain entry into Canada due to ongoing legal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
Last July, the former Arsenal midfielder was charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in London between 2020 and 2022.
Partey has denied all the charges and is set to stand trial on June 7 2027, at Southwark Crown Court.
Advert
Now playing for Villarreal in Spain, Partey was called up by Ghana for the 2026 World Cup but was blocked from entering Canada after charges against him were not declared on his visa application, which emerged after Ghanaian officials had appealed the initial decision. The appeal was denied.
He has been granted entry in the United States of America, however, and is available to play against England in Boston on Tuesday (23 June).
Speaking to the media ahead of the game, on Monday (22 June), Partey was asked if he was 'eager' to face Thomas Tuchel's side.
"I think for me now it's part of football," Partey said.
"Things happen outside football that you cannot control but for me now I feel OK and I am ready to play."
Partey 'happy to see' former Arsenal teammates again
Partey departed in 2025 and was asked if he was looking forward to seeing his former teammates Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
He said: "I'm really happy to see them again.
"I hope they are going to bring their best and try to give ourselves also the opportunity to play against the best and try to compete and enjoy the game.
"I know it's not going to be easy," Partey added on facing Rice in a midfield battle. "[They have] very good players and I am happy to play against them."
As reported by the Daily Mail, it's not yet clear if England's players will shake hands with Partey as part of the pre-match protocol, with the FA not speaking to the players about the decision and instead focussing solely on football.
Dan Burn was asked how England players intended to approach playing against Partey but the Three Lions defender was prevented from answering the question.
Instead, a media officer intervened and said: "Sorry, for obvious legal reasons, we are not going to go there."
Daniel Murphy