FIFA confirms midfielder’s absence for Panama clash; Ghana star eligible to play remaining group matches in U.S.
ACCRA, Ghana (June 12, 2026) – Ghana’s World Cup campaign has suffered a major blow just days before kickoff, with FIFA confirming that vice-captain Thomas Partey will miss the Black Stars’ opening match against Panama after Canadian authorities refused his visa application.
The decision, announced by FIFA on Friday, means the 32-year-old midfielder will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston to Toronto for the Group L fixture scheduled for Wednesday, June 17. FIFA stated it played no role in the adjudication, emphasizing that “the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country”.
Canada’s immigration department declined to comment on Partey’s specific case but noted that its rules are applied “consistently and without exception, regardless of nationality, profile, or role in the tournament”. Officials assess each individual’s admissibility under Canadian law, and “if they believe that an individual could pose a security risk, they may decide to deny them entry”.
Legal Proceedings in the UK
Partey’s visa refusal is directly linked to the serious criminal charges he faces in the United Kingdom. In July 2025, the Metropolitan Police charged the former Arsenal midfielder with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to three women, with incidents alleged to have occurred in 2021 and 2022. In February 2026, two additional rape counts were added following a separate complaint by a fourth woman regarding an alleged incident in 2020. Partey has pleaded not guilty to all seven rape charges and the sexual assault count.
The midfielder’s trial, originally scheduled for November at Southwark Crown Court, has been postponed and is now set to begin on June 8, 2027. Partey remains on bail under conditions that include not contacting the alleged victims and notifying authorities of any international travel.
Eligible for Remaining Matches
The visa denial applies only to Canada. Partey successfully secured entry to the United States and has been training with the squad at Bryant University in Rhode Island. He remains eligible for Ghana’s remaining Group L fixtures: against England in Foxboro, Massachusetts on June 23, and against Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.
Coach and NSA Director General Respond
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz previously defended his decision to include Partey in the 26-man World Cup squad, citing the presumption of innocence. “If the player is here with me, my answer is clear,” Queiroz said. “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”.
The director general of Ghana’s National Sports Authority, Yaw Ampofo Ankrah, issued a strongly worded statement condemning the decision as “bizarre” and “unfair.” He argued that the conversation around the tournament was being dragged away from the pitch, noting that a top African referee had also been denied entry just days earlier. “Thomas Partey, I don’t recall, I’ve not seen, heard, read that he’s been sentenced or found guilty of any of the charges against him. So it is quite bizarre. It’s a poor precedent,” Ampofo Ankrah said. “We should support Thomas Partey until he’s proven otherwise.”
The Stakes for Ghana
The 2026 World Cup is the first to feature 48 teams and is jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Ghana, which has won just one of its eight World Cup matches since its historic quarterfinal run in 2010, faces a challenging group that includes perennial contenders England and Croatia.
For Partey, who has earned more than 50 caps since his debut in 2016, this tournament is widely expected to be his last appearance on football’s biggest stage.
Ghana’s campaign begins Wednesday at BMO Field in Toronto, where the Black Stars will face Panama without their most experienced midfielder. The Black Stars will then return to the United States for their remaining group stage matches.
