Thursday, June 18, 2026 - A Federal High Court in Canada has upheld the decision to deny Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey entry into the country ahead of the Black Stars' 2026 FIFA World Cup opening game against Panama on Wednesday, June 17.
The ruling was delivered on Tuesday following an appeal
hearing in which Partey's legal team sought to overturn the visa refusal that
had prevented the former Arsenal midfielder from travelling to Toronto with the
rest of the Ghana squad.
The 33-year-old's visa issues are due to ongoing criminal
proceedings in the UK involving seven charges of rape and one count of sexual
assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022.
Partey has pleaded not guilty to all charges, with a trial scheduled for later
this year.
However, the court's decision means Partey remains unable to
enter Canada, dealing a significant blow to the Black Stars on the eve of their
opening Group L match against Panama.
The Ghana international had received support from the
Government of Ghana, which labelled the decision "high-handed and
extremely unfair."
The midfielder's absence leaves head coach Carlos Queiroz
without one of his most experienced players for Wednesday's clash against
Panama at BMO Field, although sources at Ghana told ESPN ahead of the verdict
that with just one day to go till kickoff, a favourable decision would not have
made much of a difference.
"The coach already had his match-day strategy worked
out. Win or lose, it would not have changed much for this game," a source
told ESPN.
Asked about the issue on Tuesday, Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz
echoed the same sentiment.
"My business is to play with the cards that I have in
front of me," he told reporters. "We are waiting for a decision. When
the decision comes, we are ready.
"We have a plan, and it includes all 26 players."
Partey is still expected to play a key role for the
four-time African champions as they navigate their two other pool games against
England in Boston on June 23 and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.
They could potentially return to Canada for the round of 32
if they finish as runners-up in
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