Ghanaian international Thomas Partey, who has pleaded not guilty to multiple rape and sexual assault charges in the United Kingdom, has been refused a Canadian visa. He will miss his team's World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.

FIFA confirmed in a statement that Partey cannot travel from Ghana's base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for the match on June 17, as his visa application was rejected by the Canadian government. FIFA noted it is not involved in host countries' immigration processes.

The 32-year-old midfielder was charged in July 2025 with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London's Metropolitan Police, relating to his time at Arsenal. He pleaded not guilty in September 2025, but was charged with two additional rape counts in February 2026, which he also denied in April.

Partey, now playing for Spanish side Villarreal, entered the United States without issue on June 4 with the Ghana squad. However, Canadian authorities denied his visa, citing potential security risks. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada stated that rules are applied consistently without exception.

Ghana's remaining Group L matches are in the United States: against England in Boston on June 23 and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27. Partey is expected to be available for those games.

Source: www.dw.com