Thomas Partey will not play in Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto – he was refused entry to Canada. A complaint against this was rejected.a.
An appeal against the decision was rejected on Tuesday evening, according to the British newspaper The Times reported. FIFA had previously confirmed that Partey had been refused entry by Canadian authorities.
The 32-year-old was charged with five counts of rape and sexual assault in July 2025, the allegations relate to the years 2021 and 2022. In February this year he was charged with two more rapes. He pleaded innocent in both proceedings and a verdict is pending in each case. Canadian law allows for such charges to be dismissed even without a conviction.
Ghana sent a protest note to the Canadian Foreign Ministry
It is still unclear when a trial will begin. Conditions apply to Partey: he is not allowed to contact the alleged victims and must inform the police about any changes of address or international travel.
In the meantime, refusing entry is becoming a case for diplomacy. The Ghanaian Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday that it had sent an official protest note to the Canadian Foreign Ministry (Global Affairs Canada). The letter also calls for “Canada to review its unfortunate decision.” But the rejection remains.
Ghana has two more group games in the USA
The Ghanaian team is in Boston for training camp in the USA. Partey was allowed to enter there. It is now not possible for him to cross the border into Canada, but as things stand he could play the remaining two group games in the USA. Ghana will play against England in Boston and against Croatia in Philadelphia. Should Ghana finish second in Group L, the team would play again in Toronto.
Partey had five years for him Arsenal FC in the Premier League played. In the summer of 2025 he moved to Villarreal FC in Spain.
Entry questions shape the tournament
Entry questions have accompanied the tournament for weeks. Several players, fans and coaches were turned away or at least had to accept delays. Omar Artan, a referee nominated for the World Cup, was even rejected by the USA.
Canadian authorities also refused entry to several Iranian delegates before the FIFA Congress on April 30 in Vancouver, citing connections to the Revolutionary Guards in Iran as the reason.