Djed Spence refused to shake Thomas Partey's hand during the pre-match handshakes before England's Group L fixture against Ghana at the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to The Sun.

Footage showed Spence, 25, standing still with his arms at his sides as Partey walked past him in the handshake line. The Villarreal midfielder appeared to follow standard protocol with every other England player, but the Tottenham Hotspur defender made no effort to extend a hand.

Partey's legal situation

Partey, 33, is currently facing criminal proceedings in the United Kingdom. He has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to alleged incidents in London between April 2020 and June 2022 — a period during which he was on Arsenal's books. He denies all charges and is expected to stand trial in the UK as late as next year.

He was initially charged last July, four days after his contract with Arsenal expired. At that stage, the charges comprised five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Two additional counts of rape were added in February.

The Ghana international had already faced disruption earlier in the tournament, having been refused entry into Canada and missing Ghana's opening Group L match against Panama. He was subsequently permitted to travel to the United States for the clash with England.

England camp reacts

At the post-match press conference, manager Thomas Tuchel was prevented from commenting on Spence's actions by England's lead communications manager, who cited legal reasons for stopping the German coach from addressing the matter.

The Football Association and Tuchel had previously advised England's squad to avoid discussion of politically or legally sensitive topics and to concentrate on the tournament. Players were each given the individual choice of whether to shake Partey's hand — a group that included his former Arsenal teammates Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.

Partey joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid in 2020 on a £45 million deal, going on to make over 100 appearances for the club before his contract expired in July 2025.