Thomas Partey has been included in Ghana's preliminary 28-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with coach Carlos Queiroz naming the former Arsenal midfielder despite his ongoing legal proceedings.

Partey, 32, currently plays for La Liga club Villarreal after leaving Arsenal last summer when his contract expired. He made 167 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions between 2020 and 2025. The midfielder has pleaded not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022, and is due to stand trial next year.

Pre-tournament preparations

Queiroz has assembled the squad for a training camp ahead of a friendly against Wales in Cardiff on 2 June. The squad will be trimmed to 26 players before Ghana's World Cup campaign begins.

Manchester City forward Antoine Semenyo and Coventry City striker Brandon Thomas-Asante earn call-ups, as does Leicester City duo Jordan Ayew and Abdul Fatawu Issahaku. Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus misses out due to the quad injury that has kept him sidelined since January.

Joseph Anang, who plays his club football for League of Ireland Premier Division side St Patrick's Athletic, is among five goalkeepers named in the squad.

Group L campaign

Ghana open their World Cup Group L campaign against Panama in Toronto on 17 June, before facing England in Foxborough and Croatia in Philadelphia.

Full preliminary squad

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 Oppong Peprah (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: Kamal Deen 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).