Thomas Partey to Miss Ghana’s World Cup Opener After Canada Denies Him Entry

Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey has been denied entry into Canada and will miss his country's opening match of the World Cup.

The Villarreal midfielder, formerly of Arsenal, is currently awaiting trial after being charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London's Metropolitan Police. He has entered a plea of not guilty to all charges.

Ghana is scheduled to face Panama in their first tournament match on Wednesday, June 17. While the team is based on Rhode Island and will travel for the game, Partey's visa application was rejected by Canadian authorities.

In a statement, FIFA addressed the situation: "FIFA can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government."

The governing body added, "FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country."

Despite the Canadian refusal, Partey was granted a US visa prior to the tournament. He will be available for Ghana's subsequent group stage matches, including their game against England in Boston on June 23 and their final group fixture against Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.