Ghanaian Thomas Partey, who joined Villarreal from Arsenal in 2025, has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape in the UK.
Published May 26, 2026
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been named in Ghana’s reserve 28-man squad for next month’s World Cup.
The 32-year-old is due to go on trial in Britain next year, where he has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one charge of sexual assault.
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The charges related to accusations made by four different women between 2020 and 2022.
Partey currently plays for Villarreal in Spain’s La Liga, joining in 2025 after spending five seasons with Arsenal.
He was first charged in July last year, just days after his contract with Arsenal expired. Villarreal signed him in August, two days after he was granted bail.
Partey played all of the World Cup qualifiers for Ghana, making 58 appearances so far.
Kudus will miss out on 2026 World Cup with Ghana
Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohamed Kudus will miss next month’s World Cup due to injury.
Kudus, who has scored 13 goals in 46 international appearances, suffered a quad injury in January and was expected to return in March. However, the 25-year-old forward has suffered a setback in his recovery and has not featured since Thomas Frank took charge of Tottenham.
Kudus, who joined from West Ham United last summer, has made 19 Premier League appearances for Spurs this season, scoring two goals.
Announcing the latest squad list on Tuesday, veteran manager Carlos Queiroz will rely on Manchester City’s Antoine Semenho and Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams, while PAOK’s former Chelsea defender Abdul Rahman Baba will be recalled for the first time since 2023.
Ghana are included in Group L alongside Croatia, England and Panama.
Ghana World Cup qualifying squad
Goalkeepers: Benjamin Asare (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Lawrence Ati-Gigi (St. Gallen), Joseph Anangu (St. Patrick’s Athletic), Solomon Agbasi (Accra Hearts of Oak SC), Paul Riverson (Ajax).
Defenders: Baba Abdul Rahman (PAOK), Gideon Mensah (Auxerre), Marvin Senaya (Auxerre), Alidou Seydou (Rennes), Abdul Mumin (Rajo Vallecano), Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir), Jonas Adjetei (Wolfsburg), Kojo Peprah Oppong (Nice), Alexander Zyk (Spartak Moscow), Elisha Owusu (Auxerre).
Midfielders: Thomas Partey (Villarreal), Kwasi Sibo (Real Oviedo), Augustin Boakye (Saint-Etienne), Caleb Ilenki (Norseland), Abdel Fattaw Issahak (Leicester City).
Forwards: Kamardine Slemana (Atalanta), Christopher Bonsu Barr (Al Qadosia), Ernest Nuama (Lyon), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Brandon Thomas Asante (Coventry City), Prince Kwabena Adu (Viktoria Plzen), Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao), Jordan Ayew (Leicester City).
