Ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage, a diplomatic dispute has erupted over Canada’s decision to bar Ghanaian international midfielder Thomas Partey from entering the country, a move that has already forced the 32-year-old to miss Ghana’s opening Group L clash against Panama in Toronto this Wednesday.
Partey, who recently left Arsenal for Villarreal in August 2025 following the expiration of his contract with the Premier League side, currently faces pending criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom linked to allegations from four women. The former Arsenal anchorman has entered a plea of not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, which date back to incidents alleged between 2020 and 2022. His trial is scheduled to begin in 2026, and he has not been convicted of any wrongdoing to date.
The Ghanaian government has publicly denounced the Canadian entry ban as “high-handed and extremely unfair”, and has launched active diplomatic negotiations with Canadian authorities in a bid to overturn the controversial decision. In an official statement, the government emphasized that Canada’s ruling is rooted solely in unproven pending criminal charges that have not resulted in a conviction, reaffirming its commitment to the core legal principle of presumption of innocence, a foundational standard of global justice systems. The statement added that Ghana will exhaust all available legal and diplomatic remedies to ensure a fair and full review of all facts related to Partey’s case.
Current Canadian immigration regulations explicitly state that foreign nationals with pending or past criminal convictions may be deemed inadmissible to enter the country. However, the situation stands in stark contrast to the United States’ treatment of Partey: U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed that while the agency is aware of the pending UK case, Partey was granted a U.S. visa and admitted to the country without issue. He currently remains at Ghana’s pre-tournament training camp based in Boston, Massachusetts.
Ghana’s subsequent group stage matches against England on June 23 at Boston Stadium in Foxborough and Croatia on June 27 are both hosted in the U.S., meaning Partey will be eligible to feature in those fixtures if selected by head coach Carlos Queiroz. Queiroz previously expressed full confidence in his decision to call up Partey ahead of the tournament, dismissing any concerns over the pending case. If Ghana finishes second in Group L, they would advance to the round of 32, where a potential knockout match could be held in Canada – a outcome that would reignite the entry ban dispute if Partey is part of the squad.
BBC Sport has reached out to the Ghana Football Association for additional comment on the situation, but has not yet received a response.