Partey was included in his country's squad for the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico earlier this month. Adrian Dennis / AFP via Getty Images Thomas Partey will play no part in Ghana’s first World Cup game in Toronto as he has been denied entry to Canada. The former Arsenal midfielder, now of Villarreal, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in July 2025 by London’s Metropolitan Police. In September of that year, he pleaded not guilty. He was charged with two new counts of rape in February this year, to which he pleaded not guilty in April. Ghana are set to open their tournament at Toronto’s BMO Field against Panama on Wednesday, June 17 but it has been confirmed that Partey cannot enter Canada and therefore will not be able to feature. Following the meeting with Panama, Ghana play England at Gillette Stadium (Boston) on June 23 before closing out Group L against Croatia at Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia) on June 27. Partey is eligible to feature in both games.
Published: June 12, 2026 5:15 pm
Source: The New York Times — Read original