Thomas Partey barred from Canada, set to miss Ghana’s World Cup opener

Ghana’s Black Stars midfielder Thomas Partey is not allowed to enter Canada before playing his side’s opening game in the FIFA World Cup.

This has been reported by The Athletic, noting that the Canadian government has denied a visa to the former Arsenal FC player because of his outstanding sexual assault case in the UK.

Canada is a nation with tough immigration rules preventing those who have been indicted of crimes from entering their country.

The Black Stars are still undergoing their preparations for the tournament in Boston, USA, and they will move on to Canada to face Panama in their first FIFA World Cup fixture on June 18th.

While Partey is legally entitled to train with his team in the USA, he will be unable to enter Canada to play their game at BMO Field in Toronto.

The player left the United Kingdom in 2025 and joined Villareal FC in Spain following reports that he had sexually assaulted a number of women during his stint in London.

The African is now facing seven charges of rape and one charge of sexual assault on four women.

He has pleaded “not guilty” to all charges as far as the trial goes, which was initially set for August 2026 but was delayed until June 2027 due to a decision by a high court judge in the UK.

The laws regulating Canada’s immigration policies are very rigid in their stance against foreigners who have indictments for major crimes outstanding.