Black Stars midfielder Thomas Partey will not play in Ghana’s opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Panama.
The match will be played on Wednesday, June 17, and Partey’s absence makes Ghana’s chances of reaching the next round more difficult as the team is already dealing with injury absences involving Mohammed Kudus and Mohammed Salisu.
The Villarreal midfielder will miss the game because Canada has refused him entry into the country. This follows sexual allegations brought against Partey in a London court, including five counts of rape in 2025. He was also charged with one count of sexual assault.
Earlier this year, the number of rape charges against Partey increased from five to seven after two more alleged cases were filed against him. The allegations relate to his time at Arsenal between 2020 and 2025.
A statement from FIFA confirmed that Canada had denied Partey entry into the country.
“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” FIFA stated in a release.
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