Rio Ferdinand has taken to social media to address comments being attributed to him about Thomas Partey, following a pre-match incident ahead of England's World Cup 2026 clash with Ghana.
The incident occurred when Djed Spence appeared to avoid shaking hands with Partey before the match, which ended in a 0-0 draw. Partey has been charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to incidents allegedly taking place between 2021 and 2022.
Ferdinand has since posted on social media that the comments attributed to him are fake, sparking questions about whether he had ever made such remarks. There appears to be no record of Ferdinand saying this anywhere apart from social media quotes without a clear source.
Partey is due to have a further trial after previously pleading not guilty to the charges against him. He remains on bail during the legal proceedings, with the condition that he does not contact the alleged victims.
The Ghana manager, Carlos Queiroz, has defended selecting Partey for the team, saying "Let events run their normal course, let the river flow and one day, when the river meets the ocean, we will find the truth."
Partey's case has raised questions about his involvement in football during the ongoing legal proceedings. He continued to play for Arsenal until leaving the club in summer 2025 and is now on the books at La Liga club Villarreal.
