Thomas Partey loses appeal against Canada visa refusal ahead of Ghana's World Cup opener

Thomas Partey will miss Ghana's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a Canadian judge dismissed the midfielder's emergency application to overturn the decision denying him entry into the country.

The ruling, delivered on Tuesday following an expedited hearing in Ottawa, brings an end to Ghana's legal efforts to secure Partey's availability for Wednesday's Group L clash against Panama in Toronto.

Partey had challenged the refusal of his Temporary Resident Visa after Canadian immigration authorities deemed him inadmissible because of the ongoing criminal proceedings against him in the United Kingdom.

During the hearing, lawyers representing the Canadian government argued that Partey should not receive special treatment because of his status as a professional footballer, insisting immigration laws must be applied equally to everyone.

Government lawyers further submitted that a criminal conviction is not required under Canadian law to refuse entry and argued that information relating to the charges facing the Ghana international had not been fully disclosed during the visa application process.

They also rejected claims that refusing Partey entry would cause irreparable harm, maintaining there was no certainty the midfielder would even start against Panama and arguing that any reputational damage stemmed from the UK criminal proceedings rather than Canada's decision.

Partey's legal team countered by citing previous cases in which artists, actors and other public figures had been granted Temporary Resident Permits despite legal or immigration issues. His lawyer urged the court to issue a swift ruling given the urgency of Ghana's World Cup opener and said the midfielder was willing to comply with any conditions imposed if granted entry.

However, the court ultimately ruled in favour of Canada's immigration authorities.

The decision means Partey, who remained in the United States after Ghana travelled to Toronto on Monday, will not be available for the Black Stars' opening Group L fixture against Panama.

The 33-year-old has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four women, with the criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom ongoing.

While the ruling rules Partey out of the Panama encounter, he remains eligible to feature in Ghana's remaining group-stage matches against England and Croatia in the United States, where he has already been granted entry.

The decision is a significant blow to head coach Carlos Queiroz, who must now begin Ghana's World Cup campaign without one of his most experienced midfielders.