FIFA said it was “not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visa
Updated June 12, 2026
Former Arsenal Ghanaian footballer Thomas Partey leaves Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on August 5, 2025, after being granted conditional bail after appearing in court on rape and sexual assault charges.
The charges against the 32-year-old Ghana international relate to alleged offences that took place between 2021 and 2022, the Metropolitan Police force said in a statement on July 4, 2025. (Photo by Adrian Dennis / AFP)
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey, who is facing trial in Britain on rape charges, has been denied a visa to enter Canada to play for Ghana in the World Cup, FIFA said on Friday.
“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,” world football’s governing body said.READ ALSO: USA To Play First World Cup Finals Game On Home Soil Since 1994FIFA said it was “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,” it added.
It is believed that Partey will, however, be eligible to play in Ghana’s subsequent Group L games against England and Croatia, which will both take place in the United States.Partey, who plays for Spanish side Villarreal, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022.
The 32-year-old is due to stand trial next year.
