Canadian court hears appeal in visa denial of Ghana's Thomas Partey

The Canadian federal court heard an appeal Tuesday of an immigration decision that prevented midfielder Thomas Partey from joining the Ghana national team in Toronto for their World Cup opener on Wednesday.

The Canadian government denied Partey's visa application. The 32-year-old is awaiting trial in England, where he faces charges of rape and sexual assault. The former Arsenal star pleaded not guilty to all counts.

A statement from FIFA confirmed Friday that Partey was not allowed to cross the Canadian border with his team, whose World Cup base camp is in Providence, R.I.

On Saturday, Ghana's ministry of foreign affairs said it would intervene in a statement suggesting the Canadian government's decision "raises fundamental questions of fairness and proportionality."

If the appeal fails Tuesday, Partey would re-join the side for their second and third group games against England in Foxborough, Mass., on June 23 and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.

Partey, who currently plays for Spain's Villarreal, has scored 16 goals in 58 career caps for Ghana, including three goals during the 2026 World Cup qualifying process.

--Ian Quillen, Field Level Media