Djed Spence appeared to bypass Thomas Partey during the pre-match handshakes ahead of England’s World Cup Group L clash against Ghana, amid the ongoing legal case involving the former Arsenal midfielder.
Television footage showed the Tottenham defender walking past Partey during the customary pre-match greetings, while the Ghana international appeared to exchange handshakes with other members of the England squad.
Djed Spence was the only England player who refused to shake Thomas Partey’s hand before kick-off.
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(@Footballtweet) June 23, 2026
The incident came days after Partey was denied entry into Canada and missed Ghana’s opening World Cup match against Panama.
However, the 33-year-old was subsequently cleared to enter the United States and featured in the meeting with England.
Video footage captured Spence, 25, appearing to skip the Villarreal midfielder during the line-up introductions, with Partey seemingly following standard protocol with the remaining England players.
Partey was initially charged last July with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to alleged incidents in London between 2020 and 2022.
In February, two additional counts of rape were added, bringing the total number of charges to eight. He denies all the allegations and is due to stand trial in the UK next year.
Ahead of the tournament, the Football Association and England manager Thomas Tuchel reportedly advised players to concentrate on football and avoid discussions surrounding politically sensitive matters.
England players were also said to have been left to make their own decisions on whether or not to shake hands with Partey before the match.
The Group L encounter marked Partey’s return to Ghana’s line-up after he was unavailable for the opening fixture against Panama due to travel restrictions.
