Federal Court Dismisses Ghana’s Bid to Overturn Canada’s Visa Denial for Thomas Partey
Ghana’s efforts to secure the availability of midfielder Thomas Partey for its opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Panama have suffered a major setback after a Canadian Federal Court dismissed an appeal challenging the country’s decision to deny him a visa.
The ruling means Partey will remain unavailable for Ghana’s Group L opener in Toronto, despite last-minute diplomatic and legal attempts by the Ghanaian government and football authorities to reverse the decision.
Canadian immigration authorities had previously ruled Partey inadmissible under the country’s immigration laws because of ongoing rape and sexual assault allegations in the United Kingdom. The former Arsenal midfielder, who now plays for Villarreal CF, has denied all charges and pleaded not guilty.
In his judgment, Federal Court Judge Roger Lafreniere stated that Partey was seeking extraordinary relief that would have required Canada to overturn a lawfully made inadmissibility decision and facilitate his entry for a specific sporting event. The court ultimately declined the request.
Before the verdict, Partey’s legal team had expressed optimism about the outcome, but following the decision, his lawyer indicated there would be no further appeal.
The case has generated significant debate in Ghana, with government officials describing Canada’s original decision as unfair and arguing that Partey should benefit from the principle of presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Canada, however, maintained that its immigration laws permit authorities to deny entry when there are reasonable grounds to believe an applicant may be inadmissible, even without a criminal conviction.
While the ruling keeps Partey out of Ghana’s match against Panama in Canada, he remains eligible to feature in the Black Stars’ subsequent World Cup matches in the United States, subject to U.S. immigration requirements.
Ghsportsnews (ghsportsnews.com) is a prominent digital sports news platform based in Accra, Ghana, that has been in operation since 2020