Thomas Partey denied entry to Canada, will miss Ghana's World Cup opener - ESPN

Thomas Partey will miss Ghana's opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Panama after being denied entry to Canada.

Ghana start their World Cup campaign Wednesday in Toronto, but Partey, 32, will not be present after the Canadian government denied his visa application.

Partey has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London's Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. It was confirmed last month that Partey's trial on rape charges, originally set for November at Southwark Crown Court, has been pushed back to start June 8, 2027.

A statement from FIFA — first published by The Athletic — read: «FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana's team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government.

»FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country."

A media spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada issued a statement to ESPN on behalf of the office's minister, Lena Diab, regarding the visa denial Friday.

«Canada is proud to be a host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is working to facilitate a successful event while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians,» the statement read.

«Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada's immigration laws.

»Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that