England Make Decision on Thomas Partey Handshake Ahead of Ghana Clash
- England are expected to shake hands with Thomas Partey before their World Cup clash with Ghana, despite earlier uncertainty
- Partey missed the Black Stars' opening victory over Panama after a visa issue, but is now available for the crunch encounter
- Coach Carlos Queiroz defended Ghana’s decision to select the former Arsenal star, pointing to the presumption of innocence
England have made their decision on whether players will shake hands with Thomas Partey ahead of their 2026 FIFA World Cup clash against Ghana on Tuesday, July 23.
The Three Lions impressively began their World Cup campaign on Wednesday, producing a dominant performance to defeat Croatia 4-2.
Source: Getty Images
Harry Kane scored twice, while Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford also found the back of the net as England made a strong statement in their opening Group L fixture.
Ghana also started their tournament with a victory after defeating Panama 1-0 in their first match.
The Black Stars secured all three points thanks to Caleb Yirenkyi’s dramatic 95th-minute winner, giving Carlos Queiroz’s side a perfect start to their World Cup journey.
However, Ghana achieved the victory without one of their biggest names, Thomas Partey.
The 33-year-old midfielder was unable to enter Canada after being denied entry due to an ongoing legal case involving allegations of sexual abuse and sexual assault.
It was later reported that Partey had failed to declare outstanding charges during his visa application.
England make decision on Thomas Partey handshake
Despite the issue preventing him from travelling to Canada, Partey has since received his visa from the United States, meaning he is available for Ghana’s second Group L match against England at Boston Stadium on Tuesday.
Before the tournament, reports suggested England could consider refusing to shake hands with Partey before the match.
The traditional pre-match handshake between opposing players is a regular part of major football fixtures, including World Cup matches.
However, there were reports that the Football Association (FA) was reviewing its position on whether England players should take part in the gesture with the Ghana midfielder, who now plays for Spanish club Villarreal.
According to the Telegraph, the FA 'has no fixed position on Partey or his involvement against England' and is 'not expected to issue players with any guidance over shaking hands'.
As a result, Three Lions players are expected to shake Partey’s hand before kick-off.
The situation also carries an extra layer of interest because several of Partey’s former Arsenal teammates are part of the England squad, including Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
Source: Getty Images
Ghana defend decision to select Partey
Meanwhile, Ghana has faced criticism for including Partey in their 26-man World Cup squad, but head coach Carlos Queiroz defended the decision.
The former Manchester United assistant manager highlighted the importance of the presumption of innocence and insisted that the legal process should be allowed to continue.
Queiroz said, via The Times:
“It’s a simple and basic answer. As far as I know, in England, in Portugal, whatever, until the court makes a decision, that the presumption of innocence is on the side of all court cases.
“But today, and this is not only about Thomas, very unfortunately the way the social media and the media sometimes act with full and total impunity, we are condemned even before we have the opportunity to defend.
“So let the events run this normal course. Let the river flow and one day when the river meets the ocean, we’re going to find the truth.”
After facing England, Ghana will conclude their group stage campaign against Croatia on June 27, as noted by Flashscore.
England will also return to action on the same day when they face Panama in their final Group L fixture.
Why Partey was booed by Wales fans
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Thomas Partey was booed by some supporters during Ghana’s international friendly against Wales on June 2.
The midfielder was handed a starting role alongside Elisha Owusu as the Black Stars looked to boss the centre of the pitch at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
