Ghana will be without their most influential midfielder for their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Thomas Partey was refused entry into Canada, a blow that threatens to derail the Black Stars before their campaign has even begun.
The 32-year-old Villarreal midfielder will not be on the pitch when Ghana face Panama in Toronto on Wednesday, 17 June. Canadian authorities turned down his visa application. Partey is currently facing seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault brought by London’s Metropolitan Police. He has denied all the allegations and his trial, delayed from late 2026, is now not expected to begin until June 2027.
FIFA confirmed the decision publicly but made clear it had no power to intervene, stating that visa matters rest entirely with host governments. Canada’s immigration ministry was equally direct, saying that staging the World Cup did not exempt anyone from the country’s standard immigration process and that every applicant is assessed on their individual circumstances.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz had selected Partey in full knowledge of the legal proceedings surrounding him, arguing publicly that a man is innocent until a court says otherwise. That principled stance has now run into the harder reality of international border politics. Queiroz must rethink his midfield entirely for the Panama game — no small task given how central Partey has been to the Black Stars for the better part of a decade.
The picture is not entirely bleak for Ghana. Partey holds a valid United States visa and will be free to play when the Black Stars return to American soil for their remaining group fixtures — against England in Foxborough on 23 June and a third match in Philadelphia. His World Cup is not over, merely complicated.
Still, losing him for the opener stings. Partey has been the heartbeat of Ghanaian football since emerging through Atlético Madrid’s academy, going on to become the most expensive Ghanaian player in history when Arsenal signed him in 2020.
He spent five years at the Emirates before joining Villarreal, racking up more than 160 Premier League appearances along the way. On the international stage, he has carried the Black Stars through Africa Cup of Nations cycles and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, wearing the vice-captaincy into this tournament.
Ghana vs Panama — Group B, Toronto,
