Ghana names former Arsenal midfielder Partey for World Cup squad

Ghanaian Footballer Thomas Partey Pleads Not Guilty to Rape Charges in UK

Thomas Partey, a midfielder for Villarreal and former Arsenal player, has been named in Ghana’s preliminary 28-man squad for the upcoming World Cup. Partey faces seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault in the United Kingdom, where he has pleaded not guilty.

The charges relate to allegations made by four different women between 2020 and 2022. Partey was initially charged last July, shortly after his Arsenal contract expired. He joined Villarreal in August 2025, following a five-season stint with Arsenal.

Partey played a key role in Ghana’s World Cup qualifying games, making 58 appearances for the team. Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohammed Kudus will miss next month’s World Cup due to injury, suffering a quad injury that has kept him out of action since January.

Ghana’s coach, Carlos Queiroz, has announced the latest squad list, which includes Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo and Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams. PAOK’s former Chelsea defender Abdul Rahman Baba has been recalled for the first time since 2023.

The Ghana team will compete in Group L alongside Croatia, England, and Panama at the World Cup. The full squad list is as follows:

Goalkeepers: Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St Gallen), Joseph Anang (St Patrick’s Athletic), Solomon Agbasi (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Paul Reverson (Ajax).

Defenders: Abdul Rahman Baba (PAOK), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alidu Seidu (Rennes), Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Jonas Adjetey (Wolfsburg), Kojo Peprah Oppong (Nice), Alexander Djiku (Spartak Moscow), Elisha Owusu (Auxerre).

Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), Augustine Boakye (Saint-Etienne), Caleb Yirenkyi (Nordsjaelland), Abdul Fatawu Issahaku (Leicester City).

Forwards: Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta), Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al Qadsiah), Ernest Nuamah (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City), Prince Kwabena Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City).

Source: Al Jazeera