New Delhi, June 12 -- Ghana will have to face Panama in their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener without key midfielder Thomas Partey after Canadian authorities rejected his visa application. The match takes place in Toronto on Wednesday, 17 June, and the 32-year-old will remain at the team's base camp in Boston.

FIFA confirmed the development in an official statement. The governing body made clear it has no role in deciding who enters host countries. "Fifa can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana's team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government," the statement read. It added that FIFA does no...