An appeal to overturn Thomas Partey’s ban from entering Canada has been dismissed and he will play no part in Ghana’s 2026 World Cup opener on Wednesday.

The Athletic on Friday exclusively revealed that Partey had been denied entry to the country meaning he would not be able to travel with team-mates to Toronto for the game against Panama.

The Villarreal player, formerly of Arsenal, was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in July 2025 by London’s Metropolitan Police. In September of that year, he pleaded not guilty. He was charged with two new counts of rape in February this year, to which he pleaded not guilty in April.

However, when applying to enter Canada ahead of the tournament, Partey’s application, received on May 21, falsely claimed that he had not been charged with any criminal charges in any country.

In a letter dated May 25, included in federal court documents seen by The Athletic, Canada’s Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IIRC) department voiced concerns his application may be inadmissible on grounds of misrepresentation, sections 40 (1) and 16 (1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and gave him seven days to respond.

Partey was denied a temporary resident permit 16 days later on June 10, the day the squad travelled to the United States. The IIRC decision letter refusing Partey’s visa application said he was “inadmissible to Canada” as a result of the charges he faces. Partey and his representatives submitted a request to the Federal Court asking for his entry to Canada, for Ghana’s opening World Cup game on Thursday, be reconsidered.

The court document referenced during the appeal shows the 33-year-old’s visa application, in which ‘NO’ is printed next to the question of if he has “ever been charged for any criminal offence in any country”. Thomas Partey’s name was printed at the bottom, underneath a checked box to confirm: “I declare that I have answered all questions in this application fully and truthfully”.

It is unclear whether Partey himself completed the application.

Partey is in the U.S. and will be eligible to feature in games against England and Croatia.Nick Potts / PA Images via Getty Images

In a hearing on Tuesday, the football player’s counsel Mackeda Bramwell confirmed that he had not disclosed his charges in the material before the judge.

Bramwell said in the filed notice of motion that Partey will “suffer serious and largely irremediable prejudice, including lossof a unique professional opportunity, the inability to represent his country at the tournament, and reputational harm flowing from a refusal grounded in untested allegations in respect of which he is presumed innocent”.

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Bramwell argued that the Ghanaian was not given “due process” and has suffered “irreversible prejudice” as the decision on his visa was made two days before the IRCC’s original June 12 deadline for his application. The letter asking for Partey’s response following his submission, however, gave him a stricter deadline of June 1 to provide “further information regarding your current charges”.

Court documents include a June 4 letter from his UK legal representatives, attaching a police records certificate and the court indictment detailing the charges against him, and confirming his not guilty plea. The letter confirmed he is due to stand trial at Southwark Crown Court in June next year.

Partey’s subsequent affidavit, affirmed on June 14 and seen by The Athletic, says that unless the matter is expedited, his “absence would materially affect Ghana’s ability to field its selected squad”.

“This is the first time that my country has qualified at the World Cup,” the affidavit reads. Ghana qualified for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and Partey featured in three games.

The federal court’s decision said the fact Partey has not been convicted of the crimes he is accused of was “irrelevant” to the analysis conducted by immigration officials.

Speaking earlier on Tuesday, before Partey’s appeal was dismissed, Ghana head coach Carlos Quieroz was asked about his potential absence. “No particular comments about that,” he said. “It’s not necessary to make comments. The story is open, the freedom of speech is open. To add more comments about issues that are nonsense, it’s not part of my business.

“My business is to play with the cards that are in front of me. We are waiting for a decision. When the decision come, we are ready. We are ready to make the final approach to the game.”

In response to the appeal verdict, the IIRC said in a statement: “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, while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians as a top priority.”

Partey has been granted entry to the United States for the World Cup, where he is training and will be available to play the national team’s following two matches against England and Croatia, in Boston and Philadelphia respectively.