Canada denies Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey a visa for the 2026 World Cup

Canada has refused a temporary resident visa to Ghana captain Thomas Partey, preventing him from traveling from the team’s base in Boston to Canada for Ghana’s opening match against Panama on June 17. The decision, based on paragraph A36(1)(c) of Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, cites pending criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom, although no conviction has been recorded. Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the move “high‑handed and extremely unfair,” lodged a formal protest, and began diplomatic talks with Canadian officials to seek a reversal.

FIFA confirmed that host nations retain the right to approve or deny visas for tournament participants and said it is not a party to the immigration decisions. The incident follows a similar United States denial of Somali referee Omar Artan, the first Somali selected for a FIFA World Cup, raising broader concerns about travel restrictions for players, officials and fans at the 2026 tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.