Ghana Demands Review of Canada's Partey Visa Ban
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- Ghana's government has called for a review of Canada's decision to refuse Thomas Partey's visa, calling it 'high-handed and extremely unfair' and saying it is 'pursuing active diplomatic engagements' with Canadian officials.
- Partey, 32, will miss Ghana's opening World Cup match against Panama in Toronto on Wednesday after his visa application was refused.
- Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four women between 2020 and 2022, and is due to stand trial in the UK next year.
- The Canadian government website states that anyone who has 'committed or been convicted of a crime' may not be allowed into Canada, which Ghana's statement argues ignores the 'presumption of innocence.'
- A US Customs and Border Protection official confirmed Partey was admitted to the United States and issued a visa, because he 'has not been convicted of a crime' — meaning he remains available for Ghana's group games against England (June 23) and Croatia (June 27) at Boston Stadium.
- Partey moved to Villarreal in August after being released by Arsenal at the end of the 2024-25 season, and head coach Carlos Queiroz said he had no qualms about selecting him.
Why it matters: Ghana could be without their most high-profile player for the tournament's opening match, a result of Canadian border policy that the Ghanaian government argues is at odds with the presumption of innocence. The US decision to admit Partey while Canada barred him exposes inconsistent North American treatment of the same player ahead of a World Cup group stage.
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