An appeal to reverse a Canadian entry ban for Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has been dismissed, ruling him out of his country’s 2026 World Cup opening match against Panama on Wednesday.
The Athletic previously reported that the Villarreal player, formerly of Arsenal, was denied entry to Canada, preventing him from traveling to Toronto with his teammates.
The 33-year-old was charged by London’s Metropolitan Police with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in July 2025, pleading not guilty in September of that year. He faced two additional rape charges in February 2026, to which he pleaded not guilty in April.
When applying for his Canadian visa on May 21 ahead of the tournament, Partey’s application falsely stated that he had never faced criminal charges in any country. On May 25, Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC) department sent a letter raising concerns over potential misrepresentation under sections 40 (1) and 16 (1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, giving him seven days to reply.
Partey was officially denied a temporary resident permit on June 10, the same day the Ghana squad traveled to the United States. The IRCC’s refusal letter stated he was “inadmissible to Canada” due to his pending charges. Consequently, Partey and his legal team petitioned the Federal Court for an expedited reconsideration so he could play in Thursday’s opening match.
Court documents from the appeal show a “NO” marked next to the question asking if he had ever been charged with a criminal offense, with Partey’s name printed at the bottom below a declaration of truthfulness. It remains uncertain if Partey filled out the form himself.
During a Tuesday hearing, Partey’s counsel, Mackeda Bramwell, acknowledged that the soccer player had omitted the charges from his initial application materials. In a notice of motion, Bramwell argued that Partey would “suffer serious and largely irremediable prejudice, including loss of a unique professional opportunity, the inability to represent his country at the tournament, and reputational harm flowing from a refusal grounded in untested allegations in respect of which he is presumed innocent”.
Bramwell further contended that Partey was denied due process because the visa decision was handed down two days prior to an original June 12 IRCC deadline. However, a separate follow-up letter had set a stricter deadline of June 1 for him to submit details regarding his current charges.
A June 4 letter from Partey’s UK lawyers included a police records certificate and the court indictment confirming his not guilty pleas. The document noted that his trial is scheduled to begin at Southwark Crown Court in June next year.
In a subsequent affidavit affirmed on June 14, Partey stated that his “absence would materially affect Ghana’s ability to field its selected squad”. The affidavit also stated, “This is the first time that my country has qualified at the World Cup,” despite Ghana having qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where Partey played three matches.
The federal court ruled that the lack of a criminal conviction was “irrelevant” to the legal assessment made by immigration officials.
Prior to the dismissal of the appeal on Tuesday, Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz declined to comment extensively on the midfielder’s potential absence.
“No particular comments about that,” Queiroz said. “It’s not necessary to make comments. The story is open, the freedom of speech is open. To add more comments about issues that are nonsense, it’s not part of my business. My business is to play with the cards that are in front of me. We are waiting for a decision. When the decision come, we are ready. We are ready to make the final approach to the game.”
Following the court’s verdict, the IRCC issued a statement reiterating its policy.
“Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws,” the statement read. “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.”
Partey has successfully entered the United States, where he is currently training. He remains eligible to play in Ghana’s subsequent group stage matches against England in Boston and Croatia in Philadelphia.