Thomas Partey is in the Ghana team taking on England in the World Cup on Tuesday night with both teams looking to seal their place in the knockout stages
21:02, 23 Jun 2026Updated 21:27, 23 Jun 2026
Thomas Partey is in the Ghana team taking on England
Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey received the customary pre-match handshakes from England players moments before Tuesday night’s World Cup fixture kicked off. However, Tottenham Hotspur full-back Djed Spence chose not to shake his hand.
There was initially speculation over whether England’s players, including former Arsenal team-mate Declan Rice, would shake Partey’s hand, but it was reported over the weekend that they would.
Partey missed Ghana’s opener against Panama after being denied entry into Canada after wrongly telling officials he had never been arrested or charged with a crime while filling out his visa application.
He appealed the verdict, but last week in an Ottawa courtroom, Justice Roger Lafrenière refused to override the decision made by immigration officials. The 33-year-old is due to stand trial next year after pleading not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault between 2020 and 2022.
Partey was booed by England fans at the Boston Stadium as his name was read out over the PA system. There were audible cheers from the Ghana end also but given that a large percentage of this ground is full of Three Lions supporters, the boos were far louder.
Centre-back Dan Burn was asked at the Three Lions’ pre-match press conference whether the England players would discuss how they would approach coming up against Partey on Tuesday. However, the Newcastle United player was prevented from answering by England’s press officer.
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Partey told reporters ahead of Tuesday’s match that he is “ready to play”. Asked if he was happy to be returning after his issues in Canada, he said: “Well, I think it’s a part of football.
“Things happen outside football that you cannot control. So for me now, I feel OK and I’m ready to play.”
Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Asked about reconnecting with former Arsenal teammates Rice and Bukayo Saka, the Villarreal midfielder said: “I’m really happy to see them again.
“I hope they’re going to bring their best and try to give us the opportunity to play against the best and try to compete and enjoy the game.”
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Ghana are second in Group L going into Tuesday’s match and will face Croatia in their final group game on Saturday.
Partey added: “It’s not about personal achievement. We are going to play a game of football.
“We are 11 players, we are a team. We have to play as a team. Individually if I can get my best game I will be happy, but at the end of the day it’s the whole team that needs to be at the top level to be able to achieve what you want to achieve.”
Ahead of the contest, Rice hailed the 33-year-old’s footballing ability, stating during England’s pre-match press conference: “As you mentioned Thomas, I’ve played with him at Arsenal, he’s a really good player.
“I’ve also played against many of the Ghana team and from the clips we’ve studied, I know what they’re going to bring: strength, pace and the counter-attack.”