June 14, 2026
Football fans and stakeholders have lamented travel restrictions and visa ban on referees, players and fans at the ongoing FIFA World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Ghana’s Thomas Partey is the latest, as he was denied entry into Canada on the grounds of his ongoing case in England, ruling him out of Ghana’s opening match against Panama on June 17.
The former Arsenal midfielder is set to stand trial as he has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police.
FIFA confirmed the visa ban in a statement released on Friday, stating that host countries reserved the right to approve or deny visas for tournament participants.
