Ghana has requested a review after Canada rejected a visa for midfielder Thomas Partey, describing the move as high-handed and extremely unfair. The former Arsenal player will miss his national team’s FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday.
In a formal statement, Ghana’s foreign ministry indicated the refusal was linked to ongoing criminal proceedings in Britain. The 32-year-old, now with Villarreal, has denied multiple allegations of rape and sexual assault made by four women between 2020 and 2022.
Partey, whose trial is scheduled for next year, is currently with the Ghana squad in Boston. He remains eligible for the team’s later Group L fixtures against England in Foxborough and Croatia in Philadelphia.
