Former Arsenal midfielder Partey named in Ghana squad ahead of World Cup

play Live Sign upShow navigation menu.css-15ru6p1{font-size:inherit;font-weight:normal;}Navigation menuNewsShow more news sectionsAfricaAsiaUS & CanadaLatin AmericaEuropeAsia PacificMiddle EastExplainedOpinionSportVideoMoreShow more sectionsFeaturesEconomyHuman RightsClimate CrisisInvestigationsInteractivesIn PicturesScience & TechnologyPodcastsTravelplay Live Click here to searchsearchSign upSport|World Cup 2026Former Arsenal midfielder Partey named in Ghana squad ahead of World CupGhana’s Thomas Partey, who joined Villareal from Arsenal in 2025, has pleaded not guilty to seven rape charges in the UK. xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogleAdd Al Jazeera on GoogleinfoGhanaian footballer Thomas Partey has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape alleged by four women in the United Kingdom [File: Neil Hall/EPA]By Kevin HandPublished On 26 May 202626 May 2026Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey has been named in Ghana’s preliminary 28-man squad for next month’s World Cup. The 32-year-old is due to stand trial next year in the United Kingdom, where he has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault. The charges related to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022. Partey currently plays for Villarreal in Spain’s La Liga, where he moved in 2025, following five seasons with Arsenal. He was initially charged last July, just days after his Arsenal contract expired. Villarreal signed him in August, two days after he was granted bail. Partey played a full part in World Cup qualifying games for Ghana, for whom he has made 58 appearances. Tottenham Hotspur forward Mohammed ⁠Kudus ⁠will miss next month’s World Cup due to injury. Kudus, who has scored 13 times in 46 international appearances, suffered a quad injury in January and was ‌expected to return in March. However, the 25-year-old forward suffered a setback in his recovery and has not played a game since Thomas Frank was coaching Tottenham. Kudus, who ⁠joined from West Ham ⁠United last summer, made 19 Premier League appearances for Spurs this season, ⁠scoring twice. Veteran coach Carlos Queiroz, who announced the latest squad list on Tuesday, will rely on Manchester ⁠City’s Antoine Semenyo and ⁠Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams, while PAOK’s former Chelsea defender Abdul Rahman Baba has been ‌recalled for the first time since 2023. Ghana have been drawn in Group ‌L ‌alongside Croatia, England and Panama. 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: Baba Abdul Rahman (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). Advertisement AboutAboutShow moreAbout UsCode of EthicsTerms and ConditionsEU/EEA Regulatory NoticePrivacy PolicyCookie PolicyCookie PreferencesAccessibility StatementSitemapWork for usConnectConnectShow moreContact UsUser Accounts HelpAdvertise with usStay ConnectedNewslettersChannel FinderTV SchedulePodcastsSubmit a TipPaid Partner ContentOur ChannelsOur ChannelsShow moreAl Jazeera ArabicAl Jazeera EnglishAl Jazeera Investigative UnitAl Jazeera MubasherAl Jazeera DocumentaryAl Jazeera BalkansAJ+Our NetworkOur NetworkShow moreAl Jazeera Centre for StudiesAl Jazeera Media InstituteLearn ArabicAl Jazeera Centre for Public Liberties & Human RightsAl Jazeera ForumAl Jazeera Hotel PartnersFollow Al Jazeera English: