Thomas Partey was asked about Djed Spence seeming to avoid a handshake before the England game.
Thomas Partey was asked about Djed Spence not shaking his hand before Ghana’s 0-0 World Cup draw with England during the post-match interviews.
Partey, who used to play for Arsenal and now plays for Villarreal in La Liga, has been facing serious legal charges. In July 2025, the Metropolitan Police charged him with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Earlier this year, he faced two new rape charges. He has denied all the accusations and pleaded not guilty. His trial is set for June 2027.
The 33-year-old played for Ghana in their 0-0 draw against England in Boston on Tuesday. He was not allowed into Canada for Ghana’s first Group L game against Panama last week.
All the England players shook Partey’s hand except Spence, who chose not to. After the match, England manager Thomas Tuchel was asked about this by a reporter, but an FA official stopped him from commenting because of legal reasons.
Ghana’s captain, Jordan Ayew, was also asked about it but walked away without answering. Defender Jerome Opoku said “no comment” and added that he “didn’t really see it.”
When a BBC journalist asked Partey about the handshake snub as he passed through the mixed zone, he didn’t answer at first. He then spoke briefly with another journalist but didn’t reply to the BBC reporter when asked again.
Videos of the handshake refusal appeared on social media, but TV cameras had already switched away to the team line-up before the pre-match greetings.
As a reminder, the 0-0 match in Boston was Partey’s first game of this World Cup after Canada blocked his entry for the earlier match. The Canadian government made that decision without FIFA’s involvement.
Partey appealed, but a Canadian judge rejected it, saying there was no serious issue with the refusal and noted that Partey hadn’t disclosed his multiple criminal charges in the UK.
Partey had promised in court that he would stay under team supervision if allowed in and said missing the match would hurt Ghana’s chances. However, court papers showed his initial visa application said he had no criminal charges anywhere — it’s unclear who filled out this form.
Immigration officials also warned Partey his visa could be denied due to possible misrepresentation, according to BBC Sport.
Ghana’s coach Carlos Queiroz said, “If the player is here with me, my answer is clear. I don’t want to comment on my decisions. He is here, so there’s no need to discuss it. Let things happen naturally, and in time, the truth will come out.”