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Claim: A Facebook user has shared a photo claiming that Black Stars midfielder Thomas Partey has now been granted a Canadian visa. He said this happened after Canadian authorities initially denied him entry for Ghana’s opening 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Panama in Toronto.
Verdict: False. The image is an artificial intelligence generated by Grok. Aside from that, there is no credible evidence that Canadian authorities have reversed their decision and granted Thomas Partey a visa. Available official statements from the foreign minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, indicate that diplomatic conversations are still ongoing; thus, no conclusion has been made yet.
Full Text
Ahead of Ghana’s opening Group L fixture against Panama at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto, Canada, a Facebook user, Yesuba David Yennuapang, circulated claims suggesting that midfielder Thomas Partey had subsequently been granted a Canadian visa after an earlier refusal.
The claim emerged days after reports confirmed that Canadian authorities had denied Partey’s visa application, preventing him from travelling from Ghana’s team base camp in the United States to Canada for the match.
The claim has received over 100 likes and been shared 11 times. With the recent issues surrounding Thomas Partey, DUBAWA looked into the claim.
Verification
DUBAWA’s initial assessment of the image revealed it was AI-generated. Notably, the image contained the Grok logo at the bottom. This suggests that it was created using an artificial intelligence tool rather than being an original photograph.
To further verify its authenticity, DUBAWA analysed the image using ZeroGPT, an AI image detection tool. The analysis labelled the image as fake and indicated that the image was AI-generated.
On June 12, 2026, FIFA confirmed that Thomas Partey’s visa application to enter Canada had been refused by the Canadian government. FIFA stated that it does not participate in immigration decisions made by host countries and that visa approvals remain the responsibility of national authorities.
Ghana has formally protested Canada’s decision, describing it as unfair and requesting a review. However, neither the Ghanaian government nor Canadian authorities have announced that the decision has been overturned.
The very latest reaction to Partey’s issue was on Monday, June 15, 2026, by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. In a press conference, he said,
“We’re hopeful of a positive outcome on our engagement with the Canadian government on Thomas Partey. We know time is running out, but we’re actively pursuing all diplomatic channels.”
This was posted on Facebook by the ministry’s Media Relations Officer, Fred Duhoe.
Conclusion
The claim that Thomas Partey has been granted a Canadian visa after initially being denied entry is false. The image circulating on Facebook is generated by artificial intelligence.
