Ghana's Thomas Partey (5) trips up England's Harry Kane, right, during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Ghana's Thomas Partey, left, argues with referee Said Martinez, right, after tripping up England's Harry Kane, top, during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Ghana's Thomas Partey (5) trips up England's Harry Kane, right, during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Ghana's Thomas Partey (5), left, kicks the ball during the World Cup Group L soccer match between England and Ghana in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Ghana's Thomas Partey, left, argues with the referee after tripping up England's Harry Kane, top, during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
Ghana's Thomas Partey (5) trips up England's Harry Kane, right, during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
RF
Ghana's Thomas Partey, left, argues with referee Said Martinez, right, after tripping up England's Harry Kane, top, during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
RF
Ghana's Thomas Partey (5) trips up England's Harry Kane, right, during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
RF
Ghana's Thomas Partey (5), left, kicks the ball during the World Cup Group L soccer match between England and Ghana in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Martin Meissner
Ghana's Thomas Partey, left, argues with the referee after tripping up England's Harry Kane, top, during the second half of a World Cup Group L soccer match in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) 鈥 Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who missed his team鈥檚 first World Cup match because he was denied a 好色tv visa while awaiting trial on rape charges in Britain, returned to the lineup on Tuesday to an apparent snub in the pregame handshake line and a cool reception from fans.
Partey was booed by the heavily pro-England crowd at Gillette Stadium when he touched the ball in the match that . Videos also in which England defender Djed Spence appeared to refuse to shake hands with Partey before the match.
When England coach Thomas Tuchel was asked after the game about the encounter, the team's media officer, Andrew Walker, interrupted and said, 鈥淚鈥檓 sorry, but for legal reasons we鈥檙e not going to be discussing that today. So let鈥檚 move on.鈥
In the videos, Spence shook hands with the player in front of Partey and the player after him, but appeared to put his hand in his pocket when the embattled midfielder passed.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz denied that there was any snub.
鈥淟ook, this did not happen," Queiroz said. "We refuse to be part of people that try to bring dust and politics inside the game. We fight to keep the four lines sacred. It鈥檚 difficult sometimes, but it happens.鈥
Partey, who played five seasons for Arsenal in the Premier League and spent last season at Spanish club Villarreal, has been accused by four different women of sexual assault and rape.
A lawyer for Partey said in March that the 33-year-old Ghanaian in Britain after a woman alleged Partey twice raped her on the same day in December 2020. Partey had separately been awaiting trial on five counts of rape related to two other women and one count of sexual assault involving another woman, and the new allegations arose after the
The charges led for Ghana鈥檚 opening match in Toronto on Wednesday, . Ghana鈥檚 final group match is also in the U.S., on Sunday against Croatia in Philadelphia.
鈥淲hen we saw him starting the game, we are all happy,鈥 Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo said. 鈥淲e are all with him to let him stay focused and help the team, because he鈥檚 our main man and we鈥檒l always be with him.鈥
Partey, who did not speak to reporters on Tuesday, said after the team鈥檚 training session on Monday: 鈥淭hings happen outside football that you cannot control. So for me now, I feel OK and I鈥檓 ready to play.鈥
And his team was glad to have him back.
鈥淗e is a great person,鈥 Sibo said. 鈥淗e has experience playing in the top leagues, so every time training with him or training camps, we learn a lot from him.鈥
