Overview
- FIFA confirmed the visa refusal and said it does not decide who host countries admit for tournament matches, leaving entry decisions to national immigration authorities.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said each applicant is assessed under Canadian law and framed the decision as part of routine security and admission checks for the tournament.
- Partey, who has pleaded not guilty to several sexual assault charges and is due to stand trial in London later this year, was at Ghana’s U.S. training base and will miss the Toronto game as a result of the refusal.
- Ghana’s federation had not issued a full public explanation at the time of reporting and has reportedly protested to Canada while exploring diplomatic and administrative options to change the outcome.
- Because the World Cup is hosted across Canada, the United States and Mexico, players can face different entry outcomes in each country and reports say Partey may still be able to travel to U.S. venues for later group matches.