FA to consider how England players handle Thomas Partey handshake at World Cup

England's football governing body is weighing up how to handle the pre-match handshake when the two sides meet in Boston on June 23, after Ghana named Thomas Partey in their World Cup squad despite him facing multiple rape charges.

The Football Association is preparing to navigate one of the more delicate situations of this summer's World Cup—what to do when England's players line up for the traditional pre-match handshake against a Ghana side containing Thomas Partey, as per The Times.

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The former Arsenal midfielder, who now plays for Villarreal, has been included in Ghana's 26-man squad despite facing seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Partey was first charged with five counts of rape and one of sexual assault in July last year, before two further rape charges were added in February this year.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His trial is scheduled to be heard at Southwark Crown Court in London, though proceedings originally set for November may now be pushed back to early 2027.

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Two of the four former Arsenal players in Gareth Southgate's squad—Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka—are former teammates of Partey. Noni Madueke and Eberechi Eze joined the club after Partey departed when his contract expired on June 30 last year.

Ghana announced their squad on Tuesday, ahead of a pre-tournament friendly against Wales in Cardiff. When asked to justify his decision to select Partey, head coach Carlos Queiroz was direct in his response.

"It's a simple and basic answer," Queiroz said. "As far as I know—in England, in Portugal, wherever—until the court makes a decision, the presumption of innocence stands in all court cases. But today, very unfortunately, the way social media and the media sometimes act with full and total impunity, people are condemned before they even have the opportunity to defend themselves. Let the events run their normal course. Let the river flow—and one day, when it meets the ocean, we will find the truth."

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Beyond the optics of the handshake, Partey's participation at the tournament carries additional legal layers. Under the conditions of his bail, he is required to notify authorities of any plans to travel abroad. United States federal law further obligates him to declare his legal status upon entry to the country.

The England versus Ghana group game takes place in Boston on June 23, and with it comes a moment the FA will need to handle with both sensitivity and clarity — long before a ball is kicked.