Thomas Partey will not play in Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto after Canadian authorities rejected his visa application, FIFA confirmed Tuesday.
The 32-year-old midfielder, now with Villarreal after leaving Arsenal, faces seven rape charges and one count of sexual assault involving four women. The alleged incidents occurred between 2020 and 2022. Partey has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to stand trial next year.
Canada’s immigration policy states that individuals who have committed or been convicted of a crime may be denied entry. Although Partey has not been convicted, his pending charges led to the visa refusal.
FIFA said it plays no part in host-country visa decisions, stressing that “the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa.”
Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz has stood by his decision to select Partey for the squad. “If the player is here with me, my answer is clear,” Queiroz said earlier this month. “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.”
Partey had been training with Ghana in Boston. He remains eligible to play in the team’s next Group L matches against England on June 23 in Foxborough and Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia, should visa issues be resolved in time.
