World Cup 2026: Thomas Partey refused entry to Canada ahead of Ghana's opener with Panama in Toronto

 

‎Thomas Partey has been refused entry to Canada ahead of Ghana's World Cup opener with Panama next week.

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‎FIFA confirmed Partey was unable to travel from Ghana's US base in Boston to Toronto with the rest of his team-mates as his visa application "has been refused by the Canadian government".
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‎The former Arsenal midfielder, who now plays his club football for Villarreal, is facing allegations of r@pe and s£xual ass@ult by four different women, who accuse him of incidents between 2020 and 2022. His trial will start in June 2027. Partey denies the charges.
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‎Partey is on bail during the legal proceedings, with a condition that he does not contact alleged victims.
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‎As it stands, Partey, 32, is available to play against England in Ghana's second Group L fixture, which takes place in Boston on Tuesday, June 23. Ghana's final group game is with Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.
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‎FIFA said: "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."
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‎In a statement to Sky Sports News, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) office said: "On June 3, 2026, CBP officers inspected and admitted Ghana national, Thomas Partey, into the United States.
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‎"The. U.S. is aware of the pending court case for Mr Partey; however, at this time, he has not been convicted of a crime and was admitted to the United States after being issued a visa. All travelers seeking entry into the United States, including athletes, coaches, and staff, are subject to CBP inspection.
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‎"Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection.
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‎ CBP officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with U.S. law. CBP's defers to Canada for questions on his denial of entry."
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‎Partey, who left Arsenal for Villarreal in June 2025, was charged in July 2025 with five counts of rape and one allegation of s£xual ass@ult, dating back to 2021 and 2022.
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‎In February this year, it was announced that Partey had been charged with two additional rape allegations dating back to December 2020.
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‎The footballer has appeared previously in the dock to plead not guilty to all charges - seven counts of rape and one count of s£xual ass@ult.
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‎The midfielder, who previously lived in Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around £45m.
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‎The next hearing in his case has been set for October 2, 2026, with the trial set to begin on June 8, 2027.