The controversial inclusion of Villarreal midfielder Thomas Partey in Ghana’s preliminary 2026 World Cup squad has sparked public discussion, with Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz making clear he has no misgivings about calling up the player ahead of the tournament.
Partey, a 32-year-old former Arsenal midfielder who left the English Premier League club at the end of his contract last summer, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. The allegations stem from claims made by four separate women between 2020 and 2022, and his trial is scheduled to begin next year. Two additional rape counts were added to the charges against him back in April.
Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, Partey has been named to Ghana’s 28-man preliminary squad that is currently in Cardiff for a pre-World Cup international friendly against Wales, set to take place on Tuesday 1 June at Cardiff City Stadium. The match, which will mark Queiroz’s first game in charge of Ghana after he was appointed head coach in April, will be broadcast live across multiple BBC platforms including BBC iPlayer, BBC One Wales, BBC Radio outlets and the BBC Sport website and app.
When asked directly whether he had any concerns about selecting Partey for the national squad, Queiroz rejected the premise of the question entirely. “If the player is here with me, my answer is clear,” the former Portugal and Real Madrid manager, who previously worked as an assistant to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, told reporters. “I don’t have any comments about my own decisions. He is here so what are we talking about? This is not for me or you to make a judgement about. Let the events run their normal course; let the river flow and one day when the river meets the ocean we are going to find the truth.”
Queiroz’s stance aligns with the position already taken by Ghana Football Association president Kurt Okraku, who previously stated that the national governing body stands behind Partey.
Partey has already begun training with the squad, and most of the team’s European-based players have arrived in Cardiff, including Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo, who linked up with his teammates over the weekend.
Ghana, which reached the World Cup quarter-finals in 2010, is drawn into Group L alongside England and Panama for this year’s tournament. The Black Stars will kick off their World Cup campaign against Panama on 17 June, and Queiroz says he is optimistic about his side’s chances ahead of the competition.
“When you talk about football in Ghana, it is in the blood, it is everything,” he said. “And the talent is here so it is an explosive combination to succeed, which was the first and most important attraction to Ghana. We’re ready to take off and start to fly straight to the World Cup.”