Spence keeps his hands down
An awkward moment before England’s World Cup match against Ghana drew attention before a ball had been kicked.
According to ESPN UK on X, Djed Spence appeared to bypass the traditional pre-match handshake with Thomas Partey as the teams lined up before kick-off.
The incident came ahead of England’s 0-0 draw with Ghana in Boston, where both sides were preparing for their second group-stage match. Pre-match handshakes are usually treated as a routine part of football protocol, but this exchange quickly became a talking point because Spence appeared to be the only England player not to greet the Ghana midfielder.
No explanation from either camp
Neither Spence nor Partey has publicly explained the moment, and there has been no official suggestion from either team that it was planned.
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Footage circulated on social media appeared to show Spence keeping his hands down as Partey passed him in the line. Partey then moved on to the next England player.
The incident was brief, but it stood out because the handshake line is normally one of the sport’s most standard gestures of respect before international matches.
Partey context adds weight to the moment
As described by The Guardian, Partey is due to stand trial next year after being charged in England with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. Partey denies all charges.
That background has placed his involvement at the World Cup under close scrutiny. The former Arsenal midfielder, now with Villarreal, missed Ghana’s opening match against Panama in Toronto after being denied entry to Canada, but he was available for the meeting with England in the United States.
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A small gesture becomes a major talking point
On the pitch, the match ended goalless, leaving both England and Ghana with work still to do in their group. Off the pitch, however, the pre-match handshake moment became one of the most discussed images of the night.
Without a direct explanation from Spence, it would be wrong to present the gesture as anything more than what was shown: an apparent refusal to take Partey’s hand before kick-off.
But in a World Cup fixture already surrounded by attention, even a short and silent exchange was enough to become a story of its own.
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