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Thomas Partey will miss Canada’s first World Cup match against Panama on Wednesday.
Updated on 16 Jun 2026
A Canadian court has rejected an appeal by Ghanaian player Thomas Partey who was banned from entering the country for his team’s match against Panama at the World Cup.
The Canadian government last week denied a visa to Partey, 33, after his lawyers launched a final appeal at the Supreme Court in Ottawa, but the appeal was lost on Tuesday.
The Black Stars face Panama in their Group L match in Toronto on Wednesday.
In rejecting the appeal, Judge Roger Lafreniere wrote that Partey had sought “clear, statutory relief” that would have required Canada to set aside “legally issued findings and support to enter into certain circumstances”.
Before the verdict, Mr Partey’s lawyer, Mackeda Bramwell, told Reuters news agency that he would not appeal if the judge overruled him.
Former Arsenal player Partey faces charges of rape and sexual assault in the United Kingdom. He has denied the charges.
The United States government has granted Partey a visa, but Canadian immigration officials said that under Canadian law, foreign nationals can be found illegal without a foreign court order.
“When there are reasonable grounds to believe that a person may be inadmissible, they may be considered inadmissible to Canada,” a spokesperson for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz says he is ready to play without Partey.
“Our intentions have been resolved,” Queiroz told a press conference before the court’s decision was issued, adding that he had no comment on Partey.
“Adding more comments on nonsense is not part of my business,” Queiroz said. “My business is playing with the cards I have in front of me.”
In Ghana as well as in Canada, Partey’s refusal of a passport has caused anger and frustration among fans of the national team.
Akua Mensah, 45, a Canadian with Ghanaian roots, said Canada’s decision was unfortunate.
