The English Federation Leaves the Decision to Shake Hands with Partey to the Players Before the Match Against Ghana

The British newspaper The Times revealed that the English Football Association has decided not to issue binding directives to the national team players regarding shaking hands with Ghana's captain Thomas Partey before the anticipated match between the two teams in the 2026 World Cup, leaving the decision to each player individually.

The case arises as Barty faces serious criminal charges in Britain, while judicial proceedings are still ongoing and no verdict has been issued against him. This has led the English Football Association and coach Thomas Tuchel to focus on the sporting aspect and not impose a unified stance on the players.

Partey is expected to participate against England after missing Ghana's opening match against Panama. Meanwhile, some England players, notably Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, will face a delicate situation, especially since they previously played alongside the Ghanaian star at Arsenal.

For his part, Ghana's coach Carlos Queiroz defended the call-up of Partey, emphasizing that the principle of presumption of innocence should be respected until a final judicial verdict is issued, criticizing what he described as trials by public opinion that precede judicial rulings.