Thomas Partey

Atlético Madrid

Born in Krobo Odumase, Partey was a product of local club Odometah's youth ranks. He signed with Atlético Madrid in 2012, after a short spell with Leganés, and was subsequently moved to the reserves a year later. On 10 March 2013, Partey was called up to the main squad for the match against Real Sociedad. However, he remained unused in the eventual 0–1 home defeat.

Mallorca and Almería

On 12 July, Partey was loaned to Mallorca, freshly relegated to the second level. On 18 August, he made his professional debut, in a 0–4 away defeat against Sabadell. Partey scored his first professional goal on 15 September, netting his side's second of a 2–2 draw at Hércules. On 27 July 2014, Partey joined La Liga side Almería on a loan. He made his debut in the competition on 23 August, starting in a 1–1 home draw against Espanyol. Partey scored his first goals in the main category of Spanish football on 11 April 2015, netting a brace in a 3–0 home win against Granada.

Return to Atlético Madrid

Partey made his first team debut for Atlético Madrid on 28 November 2015, replacing Luciano Vietto in a 1–0 home win against Espanyol. On 2 January of the following year, he scored his first league goal for the club, netting the game's only strike in a home success over Levante. On 28 May, he played in the UEFA Champions League Final against Real Madrid, replacing Koke in the 116th minute as his side lost on penalties. Partey signed a contract…

In May 2016, Partey was called up for the first time to the Ghana national team by manager Avram Grant, ahead of a 2017 Africa Cup of Nations qualification match against Mauritius. He made his debut on 5 June, replacing Frank Acheampong for the final 11 minutes of a 2–0 away win that booked the Black Stars' position in the finals. On 5 September 2017, Partey scored his first international hat-trick in a 5–1 win against Congo in 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification. Partey was chosen in Kwesi Appiah's 23-man squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. In their last group game, he scored in a 2–0 win over Guinea-Bissau at the Suez Stadium as the Black Stars topped their group. He netted in the penalty shootout at the end of the last-16 game against Tunisia on 8 July, though his team was eliminated. Partey won Ghana Player of the Year in 2018 and 2019. Ahead of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, as well as for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Partey was named Ghana's vice-captain. In November 2022, Partey was called up to the 26-man Ghana squad that would compete in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In May 2026, Partey was included in Ghana's squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, as vice-captain. On 12 June, it was announced Partey had been denied entry to Canada, and would be unable to feature in Ghana's opening World Cup match against Panama in Toronto as a result. On 16 June, Partey's appeal against his denial of entry to Canada was dismissed, and court…

Club

As of match played 25 August 2026

International

As of match played 3 July 2026

As of match played 8 October 2025. Ghana score listed first, score column indicates score after each Partey goal.

Partey converted to Islam in March 2022. He said that his decision was influenced by his relationship with his Moroccan girlfriend, Sara Bella. In June 2022, it was reported that he had changed his first name to Yakubu as part of his religious conversion, while remaining Thomas Partey both legally and professionally; he said days later that he had changed his name back to Thomas. In June 2022, Partey was made a chief of the Manya Krobo people of the Eastern Region of Ghana by the paramount chief, Nene Sakite II, following Ghana's qualification for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Legal issues

In July 2025, Partey was charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to alleged incidents involving three women between 2021 and 2022. He appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 5 August 2025. Partey was the previously unnamed footballer who news reports had said had been arrested on suspicion of rape in July 2022. He was not named at this point due to legal reasons and continued to play for Arsenal while under investigation. However, he was named as the footballer under investigation on social media, was subject to jeers related to the investigation while playing, and MPs and women's groups called for his suspension from the club. The Metropolitan Police submitted an evidence file on Partey to the Crown Prosecution Service to assess possible criminal charges in January 2025. Arsenal's handling of the case while Partey was under investigation was…