Former Arsenal player Partey has been named in Ghana’s World Cup squad World Cup 2026 news

Ghanaian Thomas Partey, who joined Villareal from Arsenal in 2025, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape in the UK.

Former Arsenal player Thomas Partey has been named in Ghana’s 28-man squad for next month’s World Cup.

The 32-year-old is due to go on trial next year in the United Kingdom, where he is awaiting trial he did not plead not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of rape.

The cases related to the predictions of four different women between 2020 and 2022.

Partey currently plays for Villarreal in Spain’s La Liga, where he moved in 2025, after five seasons with Arsenal.

He was first charged last July, just days after his Arsenal contract expired. Villarreal signed him in August, two days after he was granted bail.

Partey played in Ghana’s World Cup qualifiers, where he played 58 games.

Kudus missed out on Ghana for the 2026 World Cup

Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohammed ⁠Kudus will miss next month’s World Cup through injury.

Kudus, who has scored 13 times in 46 international games, suffered three injuries in January and is expected to return in March. However, the 25-year-old has suffered a setback in his recovery and has not played a game since Thomas Frank took charge of Tottenham.

Kudus, who joined from West Ham ⁠United last summer, has played 19 Premier League games for Spurs this season, scoring twice.

Veteran Carlos Queiroz, who announced the latest squad on Tuesday, has relied on Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo and Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams, while former PAOK Chelsea defender Abdul Rahman Baba has been called up for the first time since 2023.

Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside Croatia, England and Panama.

Ghana’s first team in the World Cup

Scorers: Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St Gallen), Joseph Anang (St Patrick’s Athletic), Solomon Agbasi (Accra Hearts of Oak SC) and Paul Reverson (Ajax).

Protectors: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alidu Seidu (Rennes), Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Jonas Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Elisha Peprah Oppong (Niceku), Alexander (Auxerre).

Middle players: Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), Augustine Boakye (Saint-Etienne), Caleb Yirenkyi (Nordsjaelland), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City).

Players: Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Ernest Nuamah (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City), Prince Kwabena Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City).