Ghana's Thomas Partey Barred from Canada for World Cup Opener

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will not be able to play in his country's opening World Cup match against Panama in Toronto after Canada refused to give him a visa.

FIFA confirmed the news on Friday, saying Partey's visa application was turned down by the Canadian government. The 32-year-old is currently with Ghana's training camp in Boston and cannot cross the border into Canada.

Partey faces seven rape charges and one count of sexual assault linked to four women between 2020 and 2022. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges and is scheduled to go on trial next year. He has not been convicted of any crime.

Canada's immigration rules state that anyone who has "committed or been convicted of a crime" may be refused entry. The Canadian government said it assesses every person individually and that hosting the World Cup does not change how its immigration laws work.

FIFA said it plays no part in visa decisions made by host countries, adding that it is ultimately up to each government to decide who is allowed in.

Partey, who previously played for Arsenal and Atletico Madrid and now plays for Spanish club Villarreal, is still expected to be available for Ghana's next two group games. Ghana face England on June 23 in Foxborough and Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.

Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz had defended his decision to include Partey in the squad before the tournament started. "Let the events run their normal course," he said.

Ghana's sports minister called the visa refusal "absolutely wrong," arguing that Partey had not been found guilty of anything.

The Partey situation is one of several immigration issues to hit the tournament. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was held for hours at a Chicago airport before being let in. Iran's team was forced to move its base to Mexico, and several Iranian fans had their tickets cancelled. 

A Somali referee, Omar Artan, was also denied entry to the US over what officials described as links to a terror organisation, a claim he strongly denied.