Thomas Partey’s visa appeal rejected by Canadian judge ahead of World Cup

Ghana’s Thomas Partey will not be available for the Black Stars’ World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto on June 17 after a Canadian federal court judge rejected his appeal to overturn a visa refusal.

Judge Roger Lafreniere issued the ruling on June 16, finding that Canadian immigration authorities were justified in deeming Partey inadmissible. The reason: Partey did not disclose multiple counts of rape and sexual assault filed against him in the UK when applying for entry into Canada.

What happened with the visa

The original visa refusal came roughly a week before the court ruling. Canadian immigration law requires applicants to declare any serious criminal charges, regardless of whether a conviction has been reached. Partey’s failure to do so triggered an automatic inadmissibility determination.

Partey has pleaded not guilty to the charges, which relate to incidents alleged to have occurred between 2020 and 2022 involving multiple complainants. The case remains active in UK courts.

The midfielder, who joined Villarreal in August 2025 after departing Arsenal, appealed the visa refusal to Canada’s Federal Court. That appeal was denied, leaving him unable to travel to Toronto for the group stage match.

The ban only applies to Canada. Partey remains eligible to play in Ghana’s subsequent group matches, both of which take place in the United States, on June 23 and June 27. The 2026 World Cup is co-hosted by Canada and the US, meaning the geography of the tournament schedule matters quite a bit for players facing country-specific travel restrictions.

The broader context

For Ghana, losing Partey for the Panama match is a meaningful blow. He has been a key figure in the national team’s midfield for years, first gaining widespread recognition during his time at Atletico Madrid and then Arsenal before his move to Villarreal.

Canadian courts were not adjudicating the underlying criminal case. They were simply evaluating whether the visa application met the disclosure requirements under immigration law. It did not.

What this means going forward

Partey has not been convicted of any crime. He has pleaded not guilty. But immigration law in many countries does not require a conviction to deny entry. The existence of serious charges, combined with a failure to disclose them, was enough for Canadian authorities to say no.

Disclosure: This article was edited by Editorial Team. For more information on how we create and review content, see our Editorial Policy.