Thomas Partey is not allowed to travel to Canada

Thomas Partey is not allowed to travel to Toronto

Keystone

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey is barred from entering Canada and will therefore miss the Africans’ first World Cup match.

Keystone-SDA

12.06.2026, 20:15•12.06.2026, 20:19

Canadian authorities denied the 32-year-old Villarreal player entry, FIFA confirmed following various media reports.

Partey is charged in England with multiple counts of rape and sexual assault. He pleaded not guilty in a London court. A verdict is not expected before mid-2027. The allegations made by several women date back to the years 2020 through 2022, when he played for Arsenal London.

Ghana will play its World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday night into Thursday morning Swiss time. The 57-time international would be available again for the remaining group stage matches. These will take place on June 23 against England and on June 27 against Croatia in the U.S. Partey was permitted to enter the country. Ghana’s team camp is located in Boston.