Ghana calls Canada’s decision to deny midfielder Partey a visa ‘extremely unfair’

The Ghanaian government on Saturday called Canada’s decision to deny midfielder Thomas Partey a visa for his country’s 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Panama next week «stubborn and extremely unfair».

The West African country’s Foreign Office said in a statement that it understood the decision was based on ongoing criminal proceedings in Britain.

Partey, 32, a former Arsenal midfielder who now plays for Villarreal, is facing allegations of rape and sexual assault in Britain. He has denied the allegations. Partey is with the rest of the Ghana squad in Boston and is eligible to play in the subsequent Group L matches against England in that city and Croatia in Philadelphia.

Ghana’s Foreign Ministry said it had sent an official letter of protest on Thursday requesting that Canada review its decision.

“The government of the Republic of Ghana expresses strong reservations following Canada’s wayward and deeply unfair decision,” the statement said.

“While Ghana respects Canada’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws, it believes that relying on unproven allegations in the absence of a judicial decision raises fundamental questions about fairness and proportionality.”

A spokesperson for Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship said Friday that the country has been consistent that hosting large events does not change immigration laws.

“Each person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the available facts and applicable law,” the spokesperson said.

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World football’s governing body FIFA said it was not involved in host countries’ immigration processes.

Partey’s case is the latest immigration-related controversy to flare up during the World Cup, which is co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico.

The US this week denied entry to Somalia referee Omar Abdulkadir Artan, who was to officiate the tournament. An official from President Donald Trump’s administration said U.S. authorities had discovered «association with suspected members of terrorist organizations.»

Upon his return to Somalia, Artan described the visa decision as a matter of «fate» and urged fellow Somalis not to lose heart over it.

Published on June 13, 2026