Ghana Star Thomas Partey Denied Canada Visa for FIFA World Cup 2026 Match

There's a big controversy brewing even before the FIFA World Cup 2026 has properly started. First, the US government's visa policy was in the news, and now it's Canada's turn. A star footballer from Ghana has been denied a visa by the Canadian government and will miss his first World Cup match.

FIFA World Cup 2026 News: Ghana's star midfielder, Thomas Partey, will not be playing in his team's first World Cup match against Panama. The reason? Canada has denied him a visa. FIFA confirmed this news on Friday.

The star footballer is currently at the team's main camp in Boston, USA. He was supposed to travel with the rest of the squad to Canada for the match. However, FIFA has stated that since the Canadian government has not granted him entry, he will not be able to play against Panama. Earlier, FIFA President Gianni Infantino had already made it clear that they cannot pressure the US government on visa matters. FIFA has remained silent on this decision by the Canadian government as well.

So, why didn't Partey get a Canadian visa?

The Canadian government has not given any official reason for rejecting the Ghanaian footballer's visa application. However, there is a lot of speculation that Canada denied him the visa because of the rape and sexual assault allegations he is facing in England. Partey has denied all these charges. He is currently out on bail while the legal battle continues in court.

The hearing for this case at the Southwark Crown Court was scheduled for later this year, but it has now been postponed. The new hearing will begin on June 8, 2027. Until then, Partey is out on conditional bail. However, he must appear in court on October 2 of this year.

Partey will play in the next matches

Although he will miss the match against Panama, Partey will be able to play in Ghana's other two group stage matches in the World Cup. This is because both matches are scheduled to be held in the USA. Ghana will play against England in Boston, and they have a match against Croatia in Philadelphia.

Even without Partey, the Ghana team is confident about winning their match against Panama. The team is relieved that he will be available for the tougher matches against England and Croatia.