Thomas Partey and Djed Spence: Spurs full-back appears to snub handshake with former Arsenal midfielder
The FA gave no specific guidance to England's players for when they come face to face with Thomas Partey during the pre-match ceremony in Boston; All other England players apart from Spence appeared to shake hands with Partey
Wednesday 24 June 2026 00:09, UK
Djed Spence appeared to not shake hands with Thomas Partey before England's match against Ghana.
Not all handshakes were shown on live televised pictures, but shots have emerged on social media of the Spurs defender appearing to snub the 33-year-old.
All other England players appeared to shake hands with Partey.
Before the match, the FA gave no specific guidance to England's players for when they came face to face with Partey during the pre-match ceremony in Boston.
However, the expectation was that all of England's players would follow FIFA protocols and shake hands with each of their opponents, as they did against Croatia in Dallas last week.
Partey denies seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to allegations by four different women between 2020 and 2022, and is due to stand trial next year. He is currently playing for Villarreal in Spain.
Sky Sports News understands that officials from the FA decided not to advise England's players about having any contact with Partey pre-match to avoid any perception they were pre-judging the criminal case.
Thomas Tuchel was asked about Spence in his post-match press conference after England's 0-0 draw with Ghana, but was advised against commenting by a media official.
Partey was absent from Ghana's opening World Cup game in Toronto last week, after Canadian officials denied him entry to the country. He was available to play against England in Boston in the second game because the US has granted him a visa.
