Ghana announces diplomatic and legal battle after Thomas Partey is denied entry into Canada
The Ghanaian government has announced that it will take all available diplomatic, legal and administrative steps after midfielder Thomas Partey was denied entry into Canada ahead of Ghana’s first match at the 2026 World Cup. According to a statement by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reported by MyJoyOnline, Accra sent an official protest note to the Canadian authorities and requested a review of the decision by which Partey was denied a temporary resident visa. The decision means that the 32-year-old footballer, a member of Spanish side Villarreal and one of the most experienced players in midfield, will not be able to play against Panama in Toronto. The Ghana vs Panama match in Group L is scheduled for June 17, 2026, at Toronto Stadium, according to FIFA’s official schedule. The Ghana Football Association previously confirmed that the Black Stars will open the competition against Panama, and then play against England and Croatia.
Accra claims the decision is disproportionate
Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it respects Canada’s sovereign right to enforce its own immigration regulations, but believes that in this case the issue of fairness and proportionality arises. According to the ministry’s claims reported by MyJoyOnline, the Canadian decision is linked to provisions on inadmissibility under Canadian immigration legislation and to criminal proceedings against Partey in the United Kingdom. The Ghanaian side emphasizes that, according to available information, no judgment or final determination of guilt has been issued against the footballer. That is why the government in Accra believes that relying on allegations that have not yet been proven raises the question of respect for the presumption of innocence, especially in the context of a major international sports competition. The ministry stated that, if necessary, it will also consider the possibility of judicial review before the Federal Court of Canada.
According to the same statement, Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa spoke with Canadian officials, including Canada’s High Commissioner in Ghana, in an effort to find a solution before the national team begins its campaign. Ghana sent the official protest note to the Canadian side on June 11, several days before the match in Toronto. The government also stressed that Partey’s absence has sporting consequences for the national team, because he is a player with extensive experience at club and international level. Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams, according to MyJoyOnline, also criticized FIFA’s reaction, assessing that football’s governing body must more strongly protect the equality of tournament participants. However, at present there has been no official confirmation that the decision by the Canadian authorities has been withdrawn or amended.
FIFA refers to the powers of host countries
FIFA, according to reports by several media outlets and claims carried in Ghanaian sources, confirmed that Partey cannot travel to Canada because his visa application was rejected by the Canadian government. The world football organization stressed that it does not decide on the immigration procedures of host countries, including the issuing of visas and the approval of entry. Such a position by FIFA is particularly sensitive in an edition of the World Cup that is being played for the first time in three host countries, because national teams, officials, media and fans may be exposed to different immigration regimes in Canada, the United States and Mexico. In Ghana’s case this is especially important because the first match is being played in Canada, while the remaining group matches are scheduled for the United States. According to available information, Partey had already been with the national team at its preparation camp in the United States, and for now the possibility remains that he could be available for matches played on American territory.
Canadian institutions repeatedly warned ahead of the World Cup that participation in the tournament or possession of a match ticket does not guarantee entry into the country. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada states on its official World Cup page that FIFA players and team members do not need a work permit, but that, depending on their citizenship and method of travel, they may still need a visitor visa or an electronic travel authorization. The same source specifically emphasizes that there is no special World Cup visa and that every application is checked in accordance with Canadian rules. The Canadian government also states that an immigration officer decides whether a person may enter Canada when applying for a visa or when arriving at the border. According to a CBS Sports report, the Canadian side said that hosting major events does not change Canadian immigration laws and that each person is assessed individually.
Charges in the United Kingdom and the presumption of innocence
The central reason why the case has become legally and politically sensitive is the criminal proceedings against Partey in London. The Crown Prosecution Service announced on July 4, 2025, that it had authorized the Metropolitan Police to charge Partey with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. According to the CPS statement, the charges at the time related to three women and alleged events from the period between 2021 and 2022. In a separate statement, the Metropolitan Police said that the investigation began in February 2022, after police first received a report of rape. In the same statement, the British prosecution service reminded the public that criminal proceedings are active and that the defendant has the right to a fair trial.
The development of the case continued during 2026. Sky Sports reported in May that Partey had meanwhile faced a total of seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, after two further charges were added for alleged events from December 2020. According to that report, the charges relate to four women and events from the period between 2020 and 2022. Partey, according to available court reports, has pleaded not guilty to all charges. The trial before London’s Southwark Crown Court, which had initially been scheduled earlier, was postponed and, according to the court’s decision, should begin on June 8, 2027. The footballer is at liberty on bail, and one of the measures includes a ban on contact with the alleged victims, Sky Sports reported.
Because of the nature of the allegations, the case requires particularly careful reporting. Under British legal rules, people who report sexual offences have the right to anonymity, and the Crown Prosecution Service warned the public and media not to publish content that could affect a fair trial. Partey has denied all allegations, and the legal proceedings have not been concluded. Canadian authorities, on the other hand, do not decide on criminal guilt in immigration proceedings, but on whether a person meets the conditions for entry into the country. It is precisely this gap between the criminal process and the immigration assessment that lies at the centre of the dispute between Ghana and Canada.
Canadian regulations give broad room for assessment
Canadian immigration legislation provides for several reasons why a person may be denied entry, including security reasons, health reasons, organized crime and the commission of a criminal offence. According to official information from the Canadian government, a person found to be inadmissible may be refused a visa or an electronic travel authorization, may be denied entry at the border or may be removed from the country. The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, in the section relating to serious criminality, states that a foreign national may be inadmissible if they have committed an act outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least ten years. The regulations also distinguish between legal grounds related to convictions and those related to the mere commission of an act, which gives immigration officers room for independent assessment. This does not mean that the person is criminally responsible, but that entry may be restricted for immigration reasons.
Precisely because of this structure of Canadian law, the decision on Partey’s application may be lawful from the perspective of immigration rules and at the same time disputed from the perspective of sporting equality and the presumption of innocence, as Ghana claims. The Ghanaian government is trying to argue that an international sports event should have clearer protective mechanisms for registered players, especially when proceedings against them have not been completed. Canada, according to official IRCC guidelines, emphasizes that no one can guarantee a visa or entry into the country, even in the context of the World Cup. FIFA in such cases falls back on the position that hosts retain full jurisdiction over borders and visas. That is why Partey’s case has grown from a sporting problem into a broader question of the relationship between international sporting obligations and national sovereignty in the area of immigration.
A major blow for Ghana in a group with England and Croatia
From a purely sporting point of view, Partey’s absence complicates head coach Carlos Queiroz’s preparations for the opening match. The Ghana Football Association listed Partey among the midfielders in the World Cup squad, alongside Elisha Owusu, Kwasi Sibo, Augustine Boakye, Caleb Yirenkyi, Abdul Fatawu Issahaku and Kamaldeen Sulemana. In the same statement, the GFA emphasized that Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, Iñaki Williams, Antoine Semenyo and several other players are among those who already have experience of playing at the World Cup. His absence against Panama therefore affects not only the choice of the starting line-up, but also the balance of the midfield, the organization of pressing and the movement of the ball toward attacking players. Ghana will have to find a solution that preserves the team’s stability in a match that could be important for the standings in Group L.
Group L brings together England, Croatia, Ghana and Panama, which makes the opener against Panama especially important for both national teams. In the new World Cup format, 48 national teams participate, divided into 12 groups of four teams, with the two best teams from each group and the eight best third-placed teams qualifying for the knockout stage. This increases the number of possible scenarios, but at the same time every point in the opening matches can carry great weight. For Ghana, a victory against Panama would mean a calmer entry into matches with European opponents, while the absence of one of the most experienced players could increase the pressure on younger midfielders. According to available information, Partey, if he remains in the squad and if the American authorities allow him to continue staying there, could be in contention for the remaining group matches in the United States.
A case that opens a broader question for major competitions
Partey’s case has further emphasized the organizational complexity of the 2026 World Cup, which is being held from June 11 to July 19 in Canada, the United States and Mexico. Unlike tournaments with a single host, national teams and accredited participants must now comply with three different systems of entry, screening and stay. Canada’s IRCC states in an official notice that athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans from all over the world are expected to arrive for the tournament and that immigration screening is conducted to ensure that the event is safe and properly organized. In the same notice, Canada specifically warned that a match ticket is not a ticket to Canada and that the final decision on entry is made by border officers. That principle has now also proven relevant for a registered national-team player.
For Ghana, the immediate goal is to try to secure a change in the decision before the match against Panama, although time is working against the national team. For Canada, the case is a test of consistency in applying its own immigration rules during one of the biggest sporting events in the country’s history. For FIFA, it is a reminder that awarding a tournament to multiple hosts brings risks that cannot be solved solely by sporting regulations and the match schedule. According to available information as of June 13, 2026, Partey still does not have approved entry into Canada, and Ghana is relying on diplomatic channels and possible legal mechanisms to challenge the decision. If nothing changes, the Black Stars will begin the tournament in Toronto without a player around whom football, legal and diplomatic interests are now converging.
Sources:
- MyJoyOnline – report on the protest by Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the announced diplomatic, legal and administrative steps (link)
- MyJoyOnline – report on the reaction of Sports Minister Kofi Adams and criticism of FIFA’s response (link)
- CBS Sports – report on the decision by Canadian immigration authorities, FIFA’s position and the reaction of Ghanaian authorities (link)
- FIFA – official data on the Ghana – Panama match in Group L of the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Ghana Football Association – official Ghana squad list and group match schedule (link)
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada – official information on entry into Canada for participants and visitors to the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Government of Canada – official explanation of reasons for inadmissibility to Canada (link)
- Justice Laws Website Canada – section 36 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act on criminality and serious criminality (link)
- Crown Prosecution Service – statement on the authorization of charges against Thomas Partey from July 2025 (link)
- Metropolitan Police – police statement on the charges and course of the investigation (link)
- Sky Sports – report on the postponement of the trial until June 2027 and the total number of charges (link)