Djed Spence appeared to avoid shaking hands with Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey before England’s Group L clash in Boston.
Television pictures cut away from the handshakes as Partey, who has been charged with seven counts of rape, worked his way down the line of England players. But video on social media appears to show Spence avoiding Partey’s hand during the pre-match handshakes.
The rest of the England players appeared either to shake hands with Partey or fist-bump the midfielder. Partey’s former Arsenal team-mate, Declan Rice, embraced him at the end of the match.
Asked about Spence’s decision to avoid Partey’s hand, England head coach Thomas Tuchel was interrupted by a Football Association spokesman who said he could not speak about it for legal reasons.
Djed Spence was the only England player who refused to shake Thomas Partey’s hand before kick-off. 🏴🤝 pic.twitter.com/CmnFLSxuxQ
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) June 23, 2026
Ghana manager Carlos Queiroz was more forthcoming when he said: “We refuse to be partners of people that try to bring dust and politics inside the game. We fight to keep the front line safe. It’s difficult sometimes, but it happens. So we have to congratulate everybody that was in the game to leave politics and everything that is going outside of our life. Thanks.”
Partey missed Ghana’s first Group L game against Panama in Toronto after being denied entry into Canada. The 33-year-old was charged last year with five counts of rape and one of sexual assault, then charged with two new counts of rape in February this year. Partey has pleaded not guilty.
The refusal by Canadian authorities to allow him entry for the Panama game was a major surprise as US border forces had allowed him to enter Washington. Partey had also been part of pre-tournament camps in the US.
Mark Bullingham. the FA chief executive, said that England have the best chance of doing well at the World Cup if they allow Tuchel and his players to “focus on football”.
Tuchel had said: “At some point it must be allowed for a football team that is sent to a World Cup to be a football team and not be a political statement, be a political role model.”
On not wanting to be dragged into politics and off-the-pitch issues, Tuchel added: “Maybe I can hide a little bit behind being not English and not talking to everything that happens in your country out of respect. And focus a little bit more on football. For some of us, it’s maybe the one chance in a lifetime and we want to make the best of it.”
England fans had said they planned to jeer Partey at every opportunity during the game. Jake Pryor, 28, who works in AI, said before kick-off: “We will boo Partey. That is the plan and we don’t think England players should shake his hand.”
Other sections of England’s support were uneasy with the jeering. “We will not be booing Partey,” said Andy Cohen, 61, from Chingford, Essex: “He is innocent until proven guilty. And anyway I’m an Arsenal fan and we stick together by not booing him.”
His friend Sean Ryan, 68, from west London, said: “England fans just look for weakness and try and exploit that. That’s why he’ll get booed. But if you boo every footballer ever accused of doing something wrong there wouldn’t be a player on the pitch who wouldn’t get that treatment.”
Outside the ground Ghana supporters showed their support for Partey. Samuel Peprah, 42, who was born in the capital, Accra, but now lives in the US, said: “We love Thomas Partey as a brother and a player. I don’t know why England fans are booing him. I don’t understand. He has not been convicted.”
BBC