Thomas Partey loses visa appeal and will miss Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama

Thomas Partey will play no part in Ghana’s 2026 World Cup campaign opener after losing his appeal against Canada’s refusal to grant him a visa, confirming he cannot travel to Toronto for the Group L fixture against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June.

The 33-year-old former Arsenal midfielder was denied entry to Canada because of ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom. Partey is due to stand trial next year on seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations made by four different women covering incidents between 2020 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

An appeal hearing was held in Ottawa on Tuesday, with the Ghanaian government having intervened to contest the original ruling, describing Canada’s decision as “high-handed and extremely unfair.” The hearing concluded with the original decision upheld, leaving Partey stranded at Ghana’s team base camp in Boston.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada had previously made its position clear. “Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws,” the body stated. “Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies.”

FIFA confirmed its own position earlier in the week, stating it has no role in the immigration processes of host countries. “FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas,” the governing body said. “As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”

Ghana face Panama in their first Group L match on Thursday, shortly after England open their tournament against Croatia.