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Ex-Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey will be absent from Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama on Wednesday, after the Villarreal star was refused entry into Canada.
Following an initial ruling that barred Partey from entering the country, both his appeal and request for emergency relief were thrown out. Justice Roger Lafreniére, who presided over the application on Tuesday, denied the request, leaving the Black Stars short of a crucial player against the defensively disciplined Concacaf side in Toronto.
The 32-year-old remains stateside with the Ghana squad as it prepares for the match and will be ineligible to feature until the team's second fixture, scheduled for June 23 against England in Foxborough, Mass.
Partey faced five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in 2025 brought by London's Metropolitan Police. He entered a not guilty plea, before being hit with two additional rape charges in February 2026. He again pleaded not guilty in April.
When submitting his application to enter Canada for the World Cup, Partey falsely declared that he had not faced criminal charges in any country. According to The Athletic, Canada's Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship department stated that his application was rejected on grounds of misrepresentation. Partey was also turned down for a temporary resident permit, prompting him and his team to seek an appeal in federal court, which was dismissed on Tuesday.
Justice Lafrenière ruled that Partey had not demonstrated sufficient grounds for emergency relief. Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz addressed the media in Toronto while the court's verdict was still pending: "My business, it is to play with the cards that I have in front of me."
In the lead-up to the World Cup, Canada has consistently stated that its immigration decisions are handled on an individual basis and that hosting the tournament does not modify the country's immigration laws, which differ from those of both the U.S. and Mexico.
"Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies, while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians as a top priority," the IIRC said in a statement.
Ghana's Outlook Without Partey
Partey's absence does nothing to diminish the importance of Ghana's Group L opener against Panama. With daunting clashes against powerhouses England and Croatia still to come, the Black Stars will likely need a victory on Wednesday to keep their hopes of advancing from the group stage alive.
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Having suffered six defeats in their last seven outings, the West Africans are a shadow of the team that thrived over the previous decade. Without Partey, they will need to rely on Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo, Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Mohammed Kudus, and experienced campaigner Jordan Ayew.
Playing what is likely their only game on Canadian soil, the Black Stars were welcomed by hundreds of supporters outside their hotel and anticipate a largely favorable atmosphere at BMO Field.