Thomas Partey misled Canadian officials over previous arrest

Thomas Partey missed Ghana's World Cup opener against Panama after incorrectly informing officials in Canada that he had never been arrested or charged with a crime. Partey, 33, was denied entry to Canada prior to Wednesday's match in Toronto due to ongoing criminal proceedings in the UK. The Ghanaian government sought permission for him to enter the country briefly to participate in the game, but that appeal was rejected by a federal court in Ottawa.

The court ruling stated that there was "no serious issue in the underlying refusal" of the visa application and pointed out that "the applicant failed to disclose that he is the subject of multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK." Former Arsenal midfielder Partey entered a not guilty plea to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault, related to allegations made by four different women between 2020 and 2022. He is set to go to trial next year.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) communicated to the BBC that "Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws. Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies."

IRCC officials had previously written to Partey expressing concerns that his application may not have met the requirement to "answer truthfully," referencing legislation on misrepresentation that could affect a visa application. The court also noted that under immigration rules, "having reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed is sufficient," indicating that a conviction is not necessary for an applicant to be deemed inadmissible.

In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) remarked, "The US is aware of the pending court case for Mr. Partey. However, at this time, he has not been convicted of a crime and was admitted to the United States after being issued a visa. Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection. CBP defers to Canada for questions on his denial of entry."

Partey, now a player for Spanish side Villarreal, has more than 50 caps for Ghana, having debuted in June 2016. Before the tournament, Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz had stated he had no concerns over selecting Partey. Asked about the issue again on Tuesday, he stated, "My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me. We are waiting for a decision. When the decision [arrives], we are ready."

Ghana is scheduled to play England in Boston on 23 June and Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June. They may return to Canada in the last 32 if they finish as runners-up in Group L.