The FIFA World Cup, currently being held in the United States, Mexico, and Canada has seen quite a few Visas rejected by the host countries. Whether it is the limited to visas issued to the Iranian team, rejection of visas to members of their support staff or denial of entry to the first ever Somalian referee at a World Cup. However, the latest denial of a visa to a player during the World Cup is something few would argue against.
Ghana’s midfielder Thomas Partey has been denied entry to Canada during the FIFA World Cup making him miss the first game of Ghana against Panama. Partey will however be available for the next two games of Ghana which will be held in the United States.
Thomas Partey is under investigation for seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022. He was arrested in North London in 2022 over these charges while he was playing for Arsenal Football Club. He moved to Villareal in Spain in 2025.
Reacting to the development, Football’s governing body FIFA said, “His visa application has been refused by the Canadian government,” the governing body of world football said. FIFA is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous FIFA events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”
FIFA has been dealing with several visa related issues during this World Cup being held, which is the biggest tournament ever held by FIFA. However, they haven’t been able to handle the visa issues with the host countries during what is the biggest sporting event.
