2026 WORLD CUP
Black Stars of Ghana and Villarreal FC midfielder, Thomas Partey has been denied entry into Canada ahead of the team’s opening match of the FIFA World Cup.
According to The Athletic, the Canadian government refused a visa to the former Arsenal FC midfielder due to his ongoing sexual assault charges in the UK.
Canada maintains strict immigration laws that restrict foreign nationals with pending indictments for serious criminal offences from entering the country.
The Black Stars are still at their training camp in Boston, in the US, and will soon travel to Canada for their first World Cup game against Panama.
Partey can legally train with his teammates on US soil, but he will be barred from crossing the border into Canada for the match at the BMO Field in Toronto on June 18.
Partey left the UK in 2025 for Villarreal FC in Spain after allegations surfaced that he sexually assaulted a few women during his spell in London.
The Ghanaian currently stands accused of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four women.
The midfielder has maintained his innocence, entering a “not guilty” plea to all charges. The eight-week trial, originally scheduled to take place at Southwark Crown Court, was recently pushed back to June 2027 by a UK high court judge.
Canada maintains strict immigration laws that restrict foreign nationals with pending indictments for serious criminal offences from entering the country.
