Overview
- Canada refused Thomas Partey’s visa application on Friday, June 12, meaning he cannot travel from Ghana’s US base camp to play the June 17 match in Toronto.
- Partey faces seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in London, has pleaded not guilty to all charges, and his trial is now scheduled to start in June 2027.
- FIFA confirmed it cannot intervene in host-country immigration decisions and said the Canadian government made the visa call; Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says officers assess admissibility and may refuse entry if they judge a person could pose a security risk.
- Partey has an approved US visa and remains with Ghana’s squad in Boston, so he is expected to be eligible for group games in Foxborough on June 23 and Philadelphia on June 27, but he could be barred again if Ghana plays later matches hosted in Canada.
- Ghana’s government has formally criticised the refusal as unfair and is engaging Canadian authorities diplomatically, a move that could widen debate about how national immigration rules affect team selection and tournament access.