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Ghanaian midfielder Thomas Partey will not feature in the Black Stars’ opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being denied entry into Canada.

Partey’s request for a temporary resident visa was turned down because his application stated that he had no criminal record and had not been arrested, charged, or convicted of any offence.

An appeal against that decision was dismissed on Tuesday, confirming that the 33-year-old will miss Ghana’s Group L opener against Panama at Toronto’s BMO Field on Wednesday.

“An appeal against the ruling to refuse Ghana’s Thomas Partey a Canadian visa for the World Cup has been unsuccessful – court documents reveal that his initial visa application did not mention the criminal charges he faces in the United Kingdom,” reported Sky Sports.

According to the report, “A letter sent to Partey by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on May 25 outlined concerns that his application did not meet the obligation to ‘answer truthfully’.”

The federal court’s ruling on Tuesday, which dismissed the appeal, noted that both Partey’s response to that letter and his affidavit to the court “fail to acknowledge, let alone explain why this material information was missing in his application.”

Partey is scheduled to stand trial in 2027. The former Arsenal midfielder has denied seven counts of rape and one charge of sexual assault involving four women. The alleged incidents are said to have occurred between 2020 and 2022, and he has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Arsenal were previously criticised for continuing to field Partey in matches before he left London for Villarreal following the expiry of his contract last summer. The Ghana Football Association has consistently expressed its support for the midfielder.

Ghana’s head coach Carlos Queiroz, who replaced Otto Addo following his dismissal in March, reiterated his position when asked about the controversy surrounding Partey’s inclusion in the World Cup squad.

“If the player is here with me, my answer is clear,” Queiroz said. “It is not for me or you to make a judgement. Let the process take its natural course; let the river flow, and when it meets the ocean, we will finally know the truth.”

Due to Partey’s absence, Queiroz will have only 25 players available for Ghana’s first match. The full 26-man squad will be restored for their second and third group fixtures against England and Croatia.

Partey is currently in the United States, where Ghana have established their World Cup training base, having encountered no similar entry issues there.

The Black Stars are set to play their remaining Group L games at Gillette Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field. Should they finish second in the group, they will return to Toronto for the round of 32. If they finish third, they could still qualify to play in Vancouver in the round of 16.