Thomas Partey will not play in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup against Panama

Thomas Partey, a key player of the Ghana national team, will not play in the opening match of the 2026 World Cup. The match will take place in Canada, and Ghana's opponent will be the Panama team. The player, who previously played for Arsenal and currently plays for Villarreal in La Liga, was denied entry to Canada due to ongoing legal proceedings against him. Partey is accused of seven counts of rape, to which he has pleaded not guilty. FIFA has confirmed that Partey will not be able to travel from Ghana's team base in Boston, USA, to Canada for the first match, which is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17. His visa application was rejected by Canadian authorities. FIFA has no influence on the immigration processes of host countries, including decisions regarding the issuance of visas. It was emphasized that it is the host country's government that ultimately decides who will receive a visa and be allowed into the country.  Five charges against Partey were brought in July last year by London's Metropolitan Police, with two more coming earlier this year. Despite this, Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz decided to include Partey in the World Cup squad on the grounds of the presumption of innocence. Queiroz also commented that the public is often too quick to judge, emphasizing that Partey is innocent until proven guilty. The Ghana national team will begin its participation in the tournament on Wednesday with a match against Panama in Toronto. The next matches are scheduled for June 23 with England at Gillette Stadium and June 27 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Partey is accused of rapes that allegedly occurred between 2020 and 2022.