Canadian court rejects appeal — Partey to miss Ghana's WC opener

Months before the tournament, one thing became clear: you cannot lie when entering another country, especially when traveling to a World Cup. Even more so when the whole world knows what the situation is and no one is willing to turn a blind eye to it. Given everything that is happening at the moment, it is worth revisiting the case.

Thomas Partey, currently a player for Villarreal, was charged by London police in July 2025 with rape under five separate counts, as well as one count of sexual assault. In September of the same year, he pleaded not guilty. In February 2026, two additional rape charges were brought against him, and in April he also pleaded not guilty to those allegations.

Partey called up for Ghana's WC squad: Innocent until proven guilty

He has not been convicted and the case remains unresolved, but there is now a specific problem. When applying to enter Canada for the World Cup, an application submitted on May 21 stated that no criminal charges had been filed against him in any country. Both Partey and his football association chose to provide false information, and as a result he has been unable to enter Canada, with Ghana's national team traveling to Toronto without him.

It is now certain that he will miss Ghana's opening World Cup match against Panama. On June 10, Partey's application for a temporary residence permit was denied — the same day Ghana's squad departed for the United States. The decision stated that he "cannot be granted permission to enter Canada" because of the charges he is facing.

Partey denied entry to Canada, set to miss Ghana opener

His legal team then asked the Federal Court to urgently review the decision so that he could play against Panama, but the appeal was rejected. Court documents show that on his visa application, he answered "no" to the question asking whether he had ever been charged with a criminal offense in any country, which is the central issue in the case. At the bottom of the form appeared his printed name along with a declaration confirming that all answers provided were complete and truthful.

It remains unclear whether Partey personally completed the application, although the circumstances suggest otherwise. During a hearing held on Tuesday, his lawyer, Makeda Bramwell, confirmed that the charges against the footballer were not disclosed in the documentation submitted to the court.

While Canadian authorities have taken a strict stance, the United States has not. Partey is currently in the U.S. and will be eligible to play in Ghana's remaining group-stage matches against England and Croatia, both of which will be played on American soil.

WORLD CUP - GROUP STAGE

Wednesday

Iraq - Norway 1-3 (1-2)

/Hussein 39 - Haaland 29, 43 Ostigard 76/

Argentina - Algeria 3-0 (1-0)

/Messi 17, 60, 76/

Austria - Jordan 3-1 (1-0)

/Schmid 21, Al-Arab 76 og, Arnautovic 90+12 pen - Olwan 50/

20.00: (1.30) Portugal (5.20) Dr Congo (11.0)

23.00: (1.75) England (3.90) Croatia (5.00)

Thursday

02.00: (2.25) Ghana (3.20) Panama (3.40)

05.00: (8.50) Uzbekistan (4.50) Colombia (1.42)

19.00: (1.80) Czech R. (3.50) S.Africa (4.70)

22.00: (1.65) Switzerland (3.60) B&H (5.80)

***odds are subject to change***