Thomas Partey, the 32-year-old former Arsenal midfielder, is included in Ghana's preliminary 28-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz named Partey for the team's pre-World Cup training camp and a friendly against Wales on June 2, 2026 [1].
Partey currently plays for Villarreal in Spain's La Liga, having joined the club in August 2025 after his Arsenal contract expired. He appeared in 167 matches for Arsenal between 2020 and 2025 and earned 58 caps for Ghana [1, 2].
Despite his inclusion, Partey is due to stand trial next year in the UK. He faces seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault related to allegations from four women regarding incidents between 2020 and 2022. Partey was initially charged in July 2025, days after his Arsenal contract expired, and was granted bail prior to joining Villarreal in August 2025 [1, 2].
Ghana’s preliminary squad also includes five goalkeepers and 10 defenders. Notable players named alongside Partey include Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo, Coventry’s Brandon Thomas-Asante, Leicester’s Jordan Ayew, and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku [1, 2]. Mohammed Kudus, a key midfielder with 46 caps and 13 international goals, will miss the World Cup due to a quad injury sustained in January 2026 [1, 2].
Ghana is drawn in Group L and will open their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17, 2026, in Toronto. They will also face England and Croatia in the group stage [1].
Carlos Queiroz said he named Partey in the preliminary squad and plans to reduce the team size before the World Cup [1]. Ghana will play a pre-World Cup friendly against Wales in Cardiff on June 2, 2026, as part of their final preparations [1].
