Spence Appears To Snub Thomas Partey Before England-Ghana World Cup Clash

England defender Djed Spence appeared to ignore Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey during the pre-match handshakes ahead of Tuesday night’s World Cup Group L encounter between England and Ghana.

Television footage showed Spence, 25, looking straight ahead and keeping his hands by his side as Thomas Partey walked past the England line before kick-off. The Ghana international appeared to exchange handshakes with the rest of the England players as part of the usual pre-match protocol.

Naija News reports that the incident came amid the ongoing legal case involving Partey, who is facing seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault linked to alleged incidents in London between 2020 and 2022.

The former Arsenal midfielder was initially charged in July 2025 with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault before two additional rape charges were added in February. Partey denies all the allegations and is expected to stand trial in the United Kingdom next year.

The 33-year-old was unable to feature in Ghana’s opening World Cup match against Panama after reportedly being denied entry into Canada. However, he was cleared to enter the United States and started against England.

Questions over the handshake incident continued after the match when England manager Thomas Tuchel faced inquiries from reporters.

Tuchel was prevented from commenting on the matter during his post-match press conference after England’s communications team intervened, citing legal considerations.

The Football Association and Tuchel had previously instructed players to keep their focus on football and avoid discussing politically sensitive issues during the tournament.

England’s squad members were left to make their own decision on whether to shake Partey’s hand before the match. That group included his former Arsenal teammates Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in a £45 million move in 2020 and remained with the club until the expiry of his contract in 2025. He is currently contracted to La Liga club, Villarreal.