The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has explained its decision to allow Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey into the country, despite the player facing serious criminal charges in the United Kingdom, after a contrasting ruling by Canadian authorities barred him from entering Canada ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The clarification comes in the wake of Canada’s decision to deny the 32-year-old a visa for Ghana’s opening World Cup fixture, with officials citing immigration regulations that permit refusal of entry to individuals accused or convicted of certain offences.
Partey, who has been charged but not yet tried in court, denies all allegations against him. The situation has drawn attention due to the differing decisions made by the two host nations involved in the tournament.
FIFA has confirmed that the former Arsenal midfielder, now playing for Spanish club Villarreal, will miss Ghana’s opening Group L match after Canadian authorities rejected his visa application. The global football governing body also emphasised that it does not intervene in immigration decisions taken by host countries.
Amid growing scrutiny, US border officials clarified that Partey was permitted entry into the United States earlier this month after being issued a valid visa.
“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,” the statement said.”CBP’s defers to Canada for questions on his denial of entry,” the agency added.
The CBP statement highlights the separate immigration processes in place across the tournament’s host nations, with the United States and Canada applying their own legal frameworks when assessing visa applications.
Partey, aged 32, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations involving four women between 2020 and 2022. His trial is expected to take place next year.
Despite the legal proceedings, he remains eligible to feature in Ghana’s remaining Group L fixtures held in the United States. These include a high-profile match against England in Boston on 23 June, followed by a game against Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June.
The contrasting decisions by US and Canadian authorities mean Partey’s involvement in the tournament will depend on the location of Ghana’s matches, with his participation restricted to fixtures staged on American soil.
The situation has created a complex backdrop to Ghana’s World Cup campaign, as the team navigates both sporting expectations and off-field developments involving one of its most experienced players.
As the tournament progresses, attention is likely to remain on how immigration decisions across the host nations continue to affect player availability, particularly in cases involving ongoing legal proceedings.
