As the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada gets underway, a high-profile eligibility dispute has emerged: Ghanaian star midfielder Thomas Partey has been barred from entering Canada, forcing him to miss the Black Stars’ opening group stage match against Panama in Toronto.
The 32-year-old Villarreal playmaker, who previously featured for English Premier League side Arsenal, was selected by Ghana for his second consecutive World Cup appearance. Partey currently faces seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault filed by four separate complainants over allegations that date back to the period between 2020 and 2022. He has formally pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his trial is scheduled to begin next year; he has not been convicted of any offense as of the tournament’s opening.
In an official statement confirming the development, global football governing body FIFA explained that Partey, who was with Ghana’s squad at their pre-tournament training base in Boston, had his visa application rejected by Canadian immigration authorities. “FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas,” the statement read. “The host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”
Under Canadian immigration regulations, individuals who have been charged with or convicted of criminal offenses may be deemed inadmissible to enter the country. Even though Partey has not been found guilty of any crime and is awaiting trial, the policy still led to his entry being blocked.
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz, who selected Partey to the 2026 squad despite the pending legal issues, has stood firmly by his decision ahead of the tournament. “If the player is here with me, my answer is clear,” Queiroz said. “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.”
While Partey will sit out Ghana’s opening clash, he remains eligible to feature in the team’s two remaining Group L matches, which will both be held on U.S. soil. Ghana is scheduled to face England at Boston Stadium in Foxborough on June 23, before taking on Croatia in Philadelphia four days later.
This is not the first instance of immigration issues affecting teams and officials ahead of the 2026 co-hosted World Cup. Iraqi striker Aymen Hussein was detained for multiple hours of questioning at Chicago O’Hare International Airport before being granted entry to the U.S. Iran’s national team was forced to relocate their pre-tournament training base from the U.S. to Mexico, after multiple members of the Iranian delegation had their visa applications rejected, and hundreds of Iranian fans had their match tickets revoked. Separately, Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the United States, with a source from the former Trump administration citing his alleged “association with suspected members of terror organisations” as the reason for the ban.