Thomas Partey has been barred from entering Canada, ruling the Villarreal midfielder out of Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama next Wednesday.
The 32-year-old, who faces trial on seven counts of rape and one of sexual assault at Southwark Crown Court, had his visa application rejected by Canadian authorities.
Ghana's tournament begins at BMO Field in Toronto on June 17, but their former Arsenal star will be forced to watch from afar.
Partey arrived in the United States with his national team on June 4 and has been training at their Rhode Island base camp ahead of the competition.
Ghana star Thomas Partey has been ruled out of the country's first World Cup match after being denied entry to Canada
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The Metropolitan Police initially charged Partey with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in July 2025, relating to alleged offences against three women between 2021 and 2022.
He entered not guilty pleas to those charges in September of that year.
Two additional rape counts were brought against him in February 2026, stemming from a separate investigation into alleged incidents in 2020 involving a fourth woman.
Partey pleaded not guilty to these further charges in April.
The trial, originally scheduled for November, may now be postponed until early 2027.
Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him
|GETTY
Under his bail conditions, the midfielder must inform authorities before travelling abroad.
FIFA confirmed the visa refusal in a statement, explaining: "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 emphasised it plays no role in host nations' immigration processes, noting that governments ultimately determine who receives entry.
Canadian immigration authorities stated that safety remains their priority when welcoming World Cup participants.
The IRCC noted that officers may deny entry to individuals deemed a potential security risk, applying rules consistently regardless of profile or nationality.
Following the Panama fixture, Ghana face England at Gillette Stadium in Boston on June 23 before concluding their Group L campaign against Croatia at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field on June 27.
Thomas Partey spent five years at Arsenal | GETTYPartey spent five seasons at Arsenal, featuring 35 times in the Premier League during his final 2024-25 campaign at the Emirates.
He subsequently joined Villarreal, where he made 32 appearances throughout the 2025-26 domestic season.
His contract with the Spanish club expires at the end of this month, though an option exists to extend by a further year.
The Metropolitan Police investigation began in February 2022 following an initial rape allegation.