A Canadian federal court’s rejection of an emergency appeal sealed Thomas Partey’s absence from Ghana’s 2026 World Cup opener, after the midfielder was found to have concealed pending criminal charges when applying for a visa to enter the country.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday, came after Partey’s legal team sought to overturn the visa refusal that had prevented the former Arsenal player from travelling to Toronto with the rest of the Ghana squad for Wednesday’s Group L clash against Panama at BMO Field. The court found there was “no serious issue in the underlying refusal” of his visa, adding that “the applicant failed to disclose that he is the subject of multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK.”
Partey faces allegations of rape and sexual assault by four different women over incidents between 2020 and 2022. His trial is set to begin in June 2027. He has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Under Canadian immigration rules, the court noted, “having reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed is sufficient” — a conviction is not required to render an applicant inadmissible.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said in a statement: “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws. Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies.” IRCC officials had written to Partey before the denial to flag concerns that his application had not met the requirement to “answer truthfully,” referencing legislation on misrepresentation that could affect a visa outcome.
FIFA confirmed that Partey would be unable to travel from Ghana’s base camp in Smithfield, Rhode Island, for the Panama match, stressing that it was not involved in the immigration processes of host countries. “As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country,” it said.
The Ghanaian government sought special dispensation for Partey to enter Canada briefly for the match, but that request was also denied. Sources at Ghana told ESPN that even a favourable ruling would have come too late to alter Queiroz’s tactical planning. “The coach already had his match day strategy worked out. Win or lose, it would not have changed much for this game,” a source said.
Coach Carlos Queiroz had previously expressed no reservations about selecting the 33-year-old. Asked about the situation on Tuesday, he said: “My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me. We are waiting for a decision. When the decision [arrives], we are ready.”
US Customs and Border Protection confirmed Partey had been admitted into the United States on June 3, noting he had not been convicted of a crime and had been issued a visa. “Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” CBP said, deferring to Canada on the question of his denial of entry.
Partey, who represented Arsenal from 2020 to 2025 before joining Villarreal, has earned 57 caps for Ghana. He will be available when the Black Stars face England in Foxborough, Massachusetts on June 23, and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27. Ghana could also return to Canada in the last 32 if they finish as runners-up in Group L.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah