Thomas Partey denied entry to Canada, set to miss Ghana's FIFA World Cup opener against Panama

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will miss his country's opening World Cup match against Panama in Toronto after Canadian authorities refused his visa application. Partey, 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault involving allegations made by four women between 2020 and 2022. The former Arsenal midfielder is scheduled to stand trial next year. FIFA confirmed that Partey, currently with Spanish club Villarreal, will be unable to travel from Ghana's training camp in Boston after his visa application was rejected by Canadian officials.

In a statement, FIFA said, "FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas.

“The host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.” According to Canada's immigration rules, individuals who have committed or been convicted of a crime may be denied entry into the country. Although Partey has not been convicted and maintains his innocence, Canadian authorities declined his visa application while legal proceedings remain ongoing.

A spokesperson from US Customs and Border Protection said, "The US is aware of the pending court case for Mr Partey, however, at this time, he has not been convicted of a crime and was admitted to the United States after being issued a visa.

"Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection. CBP [customs and border protection] officers have the authority to question travelers, conduct inspections, and determine admissibility consistent with US law. CBP defers to Canada for questions on his denial of entry."

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Before the tournament, Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz defended his decision to include Partey in the squad. He said, "If the player is here with me, my answer is clear. "I don't have any comments about my own decisions. He is here so what are we talking about? "This is not for me or you to make a judgement about. "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."

Ghana will face England in their second Group L fixture at Boston Stadium in Foxborough on 23 June before taking on Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June. Partey remains eligible to play in both matches in the United States. Should Ghana advance to the knockout rounds, the team's path could once again take them into Canada. A second-place finish in Group L would result in a Round of 32 match in Toronto on 2 July. If Ghana progress as a third-placed team and win their opening knockout fixture, they could play a Round of 16 match in Vancouver on 7 July.

Partey's case is one of several immigration-related issues affecting participants during the tournament. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was reportedly questioned for several hours at a Chicago airport before being allowed entry into the United States. Iran have also encountered difficulties, including relocating their training base to Mexico, while some supporters reportedly had tickets revoked and members of their delegation were denied visas.