Djed Spence appears to snub Thomas Partey ahead of England’s World Cup clash against Ghana

Abayomi Ademola

England defender Djed Spence appeared to refuse to shake Thomas Partey’s hand during the line-up ahead of England’s 2026 FIFA World Cup Group L match against Ghana.

Footage of the pre-match handshakes showed the Tottenham Hotspur full-back looking forward and keeping his hands down as Partey walked past him before kick-off. The Ghanaian midfielder appeared to exchange handshakes with the rest of the English players in the line.

The incident comes amid ongoing legal issues involving the former Arsenal midfielder, who is currently facing multiple charges of rape and sexual assault in the UK. Partey denies all allegations and is expected to stand trial next year.

Partey had previously been denied entry to Canada and missed Ghana’s World Cup opener against Panama, but was cleared to enter the United States for the game against England.

England manager Thomas Tuchel was asked about the incident after the match, but the Football Association’s communications team intervened and prevented the German manager from responding, citing legal reasons.

Reports also indicated that England players were free to decide individually whether or not to shake Partey’s hand before the match, including his former Arsenal teammates Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.