World Cup
Why Canada Rejected Ghana’s Thomas Partey Visa Application
BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER, CANADA
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will miss the Black Stars’ opening FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Panama after Canadian authorities rejected his visa application, citing his failure to disclose ongoing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom.
Partey, 33, was denied entry into Canada ahead of Wednesday’s Group L clash in Toronto after immigration officials determined that he had incorrectly stated in his visa application that he had never been arrested or charged with a crime.
According to a ruling by a federal court in Ottawa, which dismissed an appeal seeking to allow the player temporary entry for the match, there was “no serious issue in the underlying refusal” of the visa application. The court found that Partey “failed to disclose that he is the subject of multiple criminal charges for sexual violence in the UK”.
The former Arsenal midfielder, now with Spanish club Villarreal, has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving allegations from four women between 2020 and 2022. He is scheduled to stand trial next year.
Canada’s immigration authorities maintained that hosting a major sporting event such as the World Cup does not exempt visitors from the country’s immigration requirements.
“Canada has been consistent that hosting major events does not change Canada’s immigration laws,” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said in a statement. “Every person seeking to come to Canada is assessed individually, based on the facts available and the law that applies.”
IRCC officials had earlier raised concerns about whether Partey had met the requirement to answer questions truthfully on his application. The court ruling noted that under Canadian immigration law, a criminal conviction is not necessary for a person to be deemed inadmissible.
The judgment stated that “having reasonable grounds to believe that an offence has been committed is sufficient” to deny entry.
The Ghanaian government had sought special permission for Partey to enter Canada solely for the World Cup fixture, but the request was unsuccessful.
The decision contrasts with that of the United States, which allowed Partey entry for matches scheduled on American soil.
In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was aware of the pending court case but noted that the player had not been convicted of any crime and had been granted a visa.
“Admissibility determinations are made on a case-by-case basis using law enforcement, national security, and immigration information available at the time of inspection,” CBP said, adding that questions regarding the Canadian refusal should be directed to Canadian authorities.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz had selected Partey in his World Cup squad despite the legal proceedings and remained hopeful of a favourable outcome until the final decision was delivered.
“My business is to play with the cards that I have in front of me,” Queiroz said on Tuesday. “We are waiting for a decision. When the decision arrives, we are ready.”
Partey’s absence is a significant blow to Ghana, for whom he has earned more than 50 caps since making his international debut in 2016.
After facing Panama in Toronto, Ghana will continue their World Cup campaign in the United States, taking on England in Boston on June 23 before meeting Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27. The Black Stars could return to Canada in the knockout stage should they advance as runners-up in Group L.
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER
Democratic Republic of Congo coach Sebastien Desabre has vowed that his side will play without fear and take calculated risks when they face Portugal in their opening Group K match of the FIFA World Cup, marking the country’s first appearance at the tournament in 52 years.
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s clash, Desabre said his players were ready to embrace the challenge of facing a star-studded Portuguese side led by veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo and hoped to capitalise on the tendency of heavily favoured teams to start tournaments slowly.
“What we have to do is to deal with the pressure, the pressure of the first game,” Desabre told reporters. “I want my team to play, so we’ll take risks. Those risks will be measured.
“There’s no fear ahead of those big events.”
DR Congo are making their first World Cup appearance since competing as Zaire at the 1974 finals in West Germany. That campaign ended in disappointment, with the team losing all three matches, conceding 14 goals and failing to score.
Desabre believes this generation is far better equipped to compete on the world stage, pointing to a squad packed with players performing in Europe’s top leagues.
The French coach highlighted the pace and quality of his attackers as weapons that could trouble Portugal’s defence, while also expressing satisfaction that all members of his squad are fit and available, giving him a range of tactical options.
“We also have a great strength that we’ll be using on the pitch, and we’re going to get started with our own specific style of play, and we are, of course, highly motivated, and we are excited to play against such a big team,” he said.
“So there are different options. We will start with one option, and based on the balance of power, we’ll see.”
The Ebola outbreak in the country complicated the Congolese preparations, although Desabre said the impact on the squad was limited because most players are based in Europe.
Travel restrictions linked to the outbreak are expected to reduce the number of Congolese supporters able to attend matches in North America. Still, Desabre said his players remained inspired by the backing of millions at home.
“We have 100 million Congolese people who will be watching us,” he said. “Of course, we want to perform well. We want to show courage. And we’ll do our best on the pitch.”
After Portugal, DR Congo will continue their Group K campaign against Colombia and Uzbekistan as they seek to reach the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.
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Austria celebrated their long-awaited return to the World Cup with a 3-1 win over determined debutants Jordan on Tuesday, with substitute Marko Arnautovic the difference in a gritty, end-to-end Group J match.
In a tense game on a brisk night in the San Francisco Bay Area, Austria went ahead with a 21st-minute thunderbolt from Romano Schmid before Jordan fought back after the break through Ali Olwan’s exquisite strike in off the post.
The catalyst for the Austrian victory was the halftime introduction of 37-year-old Arnautovic, who pressured defender Yazan Al Arab into a 76th-minute own goal before converting a perfect penalty deep into stoppage time.
The 3-1 scoreline perhaps flattered Austria, who were caught off guard by the pace of Jordan’s counterattacks as they looked to make their mark in their first-ever appearance at the showpiece event.
The victory puts Austria second in Group J behind defending champions Argentina, who beat Algeria 3-0 in Kansas City earlier on Tuesday.
Austria midfielder Konrad Laimer said he was relieved to get the win after a tough opening encounter.
“We knew that this was going to be a difficult match,” he said.
“What’s important is the mentality of the entire team. We never gave up, we kept going until the end and finally we came out on top.”
28-YEAR WORLD CUP ABSENCE
Jordan defended resolutely and were fierce on the break, with the pace of forwards Olwan and Mousa Al-Tamari a constant threat to Austria, who were playing at their first World Cup in 28 years.
The match got off to a frenetic start, with Jordan causing a scare two minutes in with a counter-attack that led to captain Ehsan Haddad blasting low into the side netting.
Austria soon got into their stride, with Marcel Sabitzer the central figure in a succession of attacks, and they broke the deadlock on 21 minutes when Schmid found the top corner from outside the box.
Jordan pressed hard and found the leveller five minutes after halftime when Olwan powered down the left before firing a sumptuous shot in off the far post, sparking jubilation among their supporters in the stands.
Austria thought they were back in front when Arnautovic prodded home a loose ball from close range, but the goal was ruled out due to a handball by Stefan Posch following a VAR review.
They got the decisive goal when Sabitzer’s corner went in off Al Arab, then put the game beyond Jordan through Arnautovic’s penalty 12 minutes into stoppage time.
“We didn’t deserve to lose in our first-ever World Cup appearance – a historic participation for us,” Jordan’s Olwan said.
“We still have two matches ahead, and based on what I saw from our team today, we are capable of qualifying.”
Austria next face defending champions Argentina while Jordan take on Algeria on June 22.
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick praised Jordan for “an amazing job” and said results so far in this World Cup had shown how difficult it was for European teams to beat lower-ranked sides.
“They made it very difficult for us. I think that in the second half, this is where we got into the game,” he said.
“At the end of the day, I think that we deserved to win but it was very, very difficult.”
-Reuters
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BY KUNLE SOLAJA, VANCOUVER
Lionel Messi added yet another remarkable chapter to his glittering career on Tuesday (Wednesday in Africa and Europe) scoring the first World Cup hat-trick of his career as Argentina defeated Algeria 3-0 in their opening Group J match of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
The night was already destined to be special for the Argentine captain as he made his 200th international appearance, becoming only the second male footballer to reach the milestone after Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Messi, however, ensured the occasion would be remembered for much more than the landmark cap.
At 38 years old, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner produced a vintage performance, netting all three goals to register his maiden World Cup hat-trick and further cement his place among football’s immortals.
The feat carried multiple layers of history.
Messi became the oldest goalscorer in Argentina’s history at a World Cup, surpassing the previous mark while also extending a curious personal connection with Algeria.
The North Africans were the opponents against whom he scored his first international goal for Argentina in a friendly in 2007. Then aged just 19, Messi became Argentina’s youngest goalscorer when he found the net in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Algeria.
Nineteen years later, and on the same opposition, he rewrote the record books once again.
His treble against Algeria also expanded an exclusive World Cup record. Messi has now scored against 10 different nations at the global finals, adding Algeria to a list that already included Serbia and Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Australia, the Netherlands and France.
The hat-trick elevated Messi into another select club in World Cup history.
Before Tuesday’s match, 54 hat-tricks had been recorded in World Cup history by 50 different players. Messi’s achievement raised those figures to 55 hat-tricks scored by 51 players.
Only four players have previously managed to score two World Cup hat-tricks: Hungary’s Sándor Kocsis, France’s Just Fontaine, West Germany’s Gerd Müller and Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta, who remains the only player to have recorded hat-tricks in two different World Cup tournaments.
World Cup hat-tricks remain among the rarest feats in football. The first was scored by American Bert Patenaude against Paraguay at the inaugural tournament in 1930. Only two players have managed the feat in a World Cup final — England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966 and France’s Kylian Mbappé in 2022.
Messi’s masterclass ensured his name is now firmly etched into that distinguished list.
For Argentina, the victory provided a perfect start to their World Cup campaign. For Messi, it was another night when records tumbled, history beckoned, and football’s enduring superstar once again demonstrated why he remains one of the game’s greatest-ever players.
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