Ghana have been dealt a major blow ahead of their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after midfielder Thomas Partey was denied entry into Canada.

The 32-year-old will miss Ghana’s first Group L game against Panama in Toronto after his visa application was refused by the Canadian government.

Partey, who now plays for Villarreal CF, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one charge of sexual assault involving allegations made by four women between 2020 and 2022. He is expected to stand trial next year.

In a statement, FIFA confirmed that Partey would be unable to travel from Ghana’s training camp in Boston to Canada after his visa application was rejected.

World football’s governing body said it does not take part in immigration decisions and that host governments have the final say on who is granted entry into their countries.

Canada’s immigration authorities said every visitor is assessed individually under the country’s laws and that hosting the World Cup does not change its immigration rules.

The decision means Ghana will have to face Panama without one of their most experienced players. However, Partey could still feature in Ghana’s remaining group matches, which will be played in the United States.

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz had previously defended his decision to include Partey in the squad. Speaking before the tournament, Queiroz said the matter should be left to follow its legal process and that it was not for him to make a judgement.

Ghana’s second Group L match is against England in Foxborough on 23 June, before they take on Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June. Both matches are in the United States, meaning Partey could still be available if permitted to remain in the country.

The news has caused widespread reaction among Ghanaian football fans, with many expressing their disappointment on social media. Ghana’s Sports Minister, Kofi Adams, described the decision as “absolutely wrong”, arguing that the player has been charged but has not been found guilty.

Partey’s case is one of several immigration-related issues to emerge during the tournament. Iraq striker Aymen Hussein was reportedly questioned for hours at a Chicago airport before being allowed into the United States.

Meanwhile, Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry into the United States despite holding a diplomatic passport and a valid visa. Artan, who was named the Confederation of African Football Men’s Referee of the Year in 2025, had been set to become the first Somali referee to officiate at a FIFA World Cup.

For now, Ghana must focus on their opening game against Panama without Partey as they begin their quest to reach the knockout stage of the tournament.

Antonio Valencia was a Manchester United stalwart during his decade at Old Trafford

Antonio Valencia says he would drop everything to return to Manchester United and link up once more with former teammate Michael Carrick. The Ecuadorian was a familiar presence at Old Trafford throughout his decade at the club between 2009 and 2019.

Valencia, who retired in 2021 after amassing almost 500 career appearances, is currently working alongside some of football’s most prominent pundits at the World Cup. He has joined Telemundo Deportes, the Spanish-language broadcaster operating under the NBC Sports Group umbrella.

While he appreciates the chance to share his expertise as part of the channel’s punditry panel for the tournament, there is one role he wouldn’t think twice about – joining forces with Carrick, with whom he shared a dressing room for nine years in Manchester.

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Carrick was formally appointed as United’s manager last month following a successful interim period in which he steered the club back into the Champions League and secured a third-place finish in the Premier League.

“I sent him a message wishing him success,” Valencia told Hajper. “Carrick is someone I respect and care about a lot. I wished him success as a coach, and I think it has gone well for him.

“Things have worked out, and it makes me happy that he is going into another season on the bench.”

When quizzed on whether he would consider joining Carrick in Manchester, the 40-year-old added: “Yes, I would go back. Manchester United is a club that gave me so much.

“My family was very happy there. I would work for Manchester United in any role, out of passion. It is a club I love a lot. I think everything they are doing is going well.”

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“But if they called me, I would go running.”

Should he secure his dream position at Old Trafford, Valencia would enjoy the support of numerous United fans, considering his standing as a club legend.

The former Reds skipper featured 339 times and netted 25 goals in a United shirt, amassing a collection of silverware throughout his tenure. This comprised two Premier League titles, several domestic cups and a Europa League trophy.

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India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, left, and Rohit Sharma (AP Photo)

Former India opener Virender Sehwag has backed Yashasvi Jaiswal to become a regular member of India’s ODI setup once Rohit Sharma steps away from the format after next year’s World Cup in South Africa and Zimbabwe. According to Sehwag, Jaiswal possesses the ability to succeed across all three formats, but the current composition of the Indian side leaves little room for him at present.Jaiswal has featured in four ODIs so far and has already made a strong impression. His standout performance came in his most recent ODI appearance against South Africa in Visakhapatnam last year, where he remained unbeaten on 116 from 121 deliveries to register his maiden century in the format.Despite rating him highly, Sehwag acknowledged that India’s current opening combination makes it difficult for Jaiswal to break into the side on a consistent basis.“But there is no space right now. Shubman Gill is the captain. Rohit Sharma is playing. As soon as Rohit Sharma retires, you will see Jaiswal playing white-ball and one-day cricket as well. Ruturaj Gaikwad might be a competitor of his, though. But if you take three openers, you will definitely see Jaiswal among them,” Sehwag said on a Cricbuzz show.The former opener pointed out that Jaiswal’s ODI opportunities have largely come when senior players were unavailable rather than due to a permanent opening in the squad. However, he stressed that the youngster has consistently delivered whenever given a chance.“See, he has come into the ODI team only because someone like Gill or Sharma wasn’t available. It was not like that he got the chance and then he didn’t perform. He performed very well when he got the chance. It was not like he was dropped after not performing. He was in the team because someone wasn’t playing.“Ishan Kishan is not part of one-day cricket either. He has made a double hundred in ODIs, the fastest. So he is also a player who is in the reckoning. But I would definitely like to see Jaiswal in one-day cricket and T20Is, I mean in all three formats. He is a player who can play all three formats,” Sehwag explained.Former India batter Manoj Tiwary, who was also part of the discussion, shared a similar view and placed Jaiswal at the top of his list of future ODI openers. Tiwary believes the left-hander should be India’s first-choice candidate once senior players move on after next year’s World Cup.“He is number one in my list. After the World Cup next year, two players will retire. He can be chosen before, though. But if that doesn’t happen, then definitely after the retirement of those players, the first name will be that of Jaiswal. After that, the names you [the host] have taken, Sai Sudharsan, Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal. This should be the order,” Tiwary said.With competition from players such as Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Ishan Kishan and Devdutt Padikkal, the race for India’s future opening spots remains intense. However, both Sehwag and Tiwary believe Jaiswal has done enough to place himself firmly at the front of the queue whenever an opportunity finally opens up.

Ghana sports minister Kofi Adams has derided the “flimsy” grounds on which Thomas Partey has been denied entry to Canada for the 2026 World Cup and has urged a review of the decision.

The ex-Arsenal midfielder will, as it stands, miss Ghana’s World Cup opener on Wednesday against Panama in Toronto after being denied a Canadian visa.

The 33-year-old has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Fifa confirmed on Friday that Partey, who has been granted a US visa, will be unable to travel to Toronto and will remain at Ghana’s base camp in Boston – but Adams insists the government have requested a “review” of the decision.

“If any Ghanaian is touched anywhere, we will not keep quiet over it,” Adams told local station Channel One TV on Friday.

“Through the appropriate channels, we have communicated to the rightful authorities and are requesting for them to use all processes to review and give opportunity for a review of such a decision that we think frowns on international laws and conventions, which both Ghana and Canada are party to.”

Adams added that the grounds for Partey’s visa rejection are “fimsy” – insisting the decision is “absolutely wrong.”

“We think it’s appropriate to get the appropriate authorities to review this decision,” he said. “We’ve taken it to that level, and we hope and pray that they do what they must do.

“Thomas was one of the players who was asked to go to the [London] embassy for his biometrics, and then yesterday morning we got the decision that he has been denied entry to Canada on very flimsy grounds. I say flimsy because the person has already been charged, he has not been found guilty.

“Even in the country where they claim he committed the act, for which reason he is in court, which he has denied, he is still living there, as a free citizen, walking about freely and doing anything every free citizen should do.

“He’s plying his trade, so one is therefore surprised that Canada — which is so far away — will now apply rules to the extent where somebody has merely been charged.

“This is absolutely wrong. I don’t understand why today Canada is interpreting their rules to suggest that a charge means guilty.”

Canada’s government website suggests visitors may be denied entry to the country if they have “committed or been convicted of a crime”, although Partey has not been convicted of any crime.

In a statement, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said: “Canada is proud to be a host country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is working to facilitate a successful event while maintaining the safety and security of Canadians. 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.”

Fifa added in a statement: “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.”

Partey, who plays for Spanish club Villarreal, was granted a US visa before the tournament and will be eligible to play against England in Boston on 23 June, as well as Ghana’s final group game against Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June.

The allegations against Partey relate to four different women. The trial was set for November but Judge Tony Baumgartner, the Recorder of Westminster, warned Partey and lawyers in the case that the trial could now be delayed until January next year.

The Ghanaian midfielder, who previously lived in Potters Bar in Hertfordshire, joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 in a transfer worth around £45m, before he left the club in June last year.

Partey is on bail during the legal proceedings, with a condition that he does not contact alleged victims and that he must tell the court if he plans on travelling abroad.

First Published: Jun 13 2026 | 5:06 AM IST

First Published: Jun 13 2026 | 3:16 PM IST

The United States could hardly have asked for a better start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign. In front of a passionate home crowd, the Americans produced a commanding performance to defeat Paraguay 4-1 and send an early message to the rest of the tournament.

At the centre of the victory was Folarin Balogun, whose two goals highlighted the growing importance of the striker to the national team. While his finishing caught the headlines, the match offered several lessons about the strengths of Mauricio Pochettino’s side and why they could become one of the surprise packages of the competition.

Balogun’s display showed exactly why he is regarded as the focal point of the American attack. The striker constantly troubled Paraguay’s defence with his pace, movement and hunger for goals. Even after seeing an effort ruled out for offside, he remained confident and continued to attack the spaces behind the defence. His reward was a brilliant brace that effectively put the game beyond Paraguay before half-time.

The first lesson from the victory is that this United States team has developed a ruthless edge in front of goal. In previous tournaments, the Americans were often criticised for creating chances without converting them. Against Paraguay, they were clinical. Every mistake by the opposition was punished and the attacking players showed composure whenever opportunities appeared.

Another important lesson was the quality of the team’s movement. The players looked comfortable in possession and constantly rotated positions to create space. Midfielders joined attacks, full-backs pushed forward at the right moments and the front players combined effectively. The understanding between the players was clear to see and made life extremely difficult for Paraguay.

Christian Pulisic once again demonstrated why he remains one of the team’s most influential players. Although he did not score, his creativity was vital. He was involved in the build-up to key goals and repeatedly found ways to unlock the Paraguayan defence. His partnership with Balogun could become one of the most important attacking combinations of the tournament.

The midfield also deserves significant praise. Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman controlled large parts of the match, winning battles in central areas and ensuring that the Americans remained on the front foot. Their energy allowed the team to press aggressively while still maintaining discipline when defending.

Perhaps the biggest lesson from the victory was the team’s maturity. Rather than becoming careless after building a comfortable lead, the United States continued to manage the game intelligently. The players remained organised, protected possession and limited Paraguay’s opportunities. That balance between attack and control is often what separates good teams from genuine contenders.

Defensively, the Americans looked solid for most of the evening. The return of key defenders brought stability to the back line and allowed the team to build attacks from deep with confidence. While Paraguay managed a late consolation goal, they rarely threatened throughout the contest.

Balogun’s performance will understandably attract most of the attention, but the result was about much more than one player. It was a display of teamwork, tactical discipline and attacking quality. The United States looked like a side that believes it belongs among the strongest teams in the competition.

There are still tougher tests ahead, and one impressive victory does not guarantee a deep World Cup run. However, if the Americans can maintain the intensity, cohesion and confidence they showed against Paraguay, they will be a difficult opponent for anyone.

For now, Balogun’s goals and the team’s dominant display have given supporters every reason to dream. The road ahead remains long, but the United States have taken their first step in convincing fashion.