Soccer fans tuning into the FIFA World Cup this summer may be curious as to why one of the England players is wearing a protective mask.
Djed Spence, 25, will be wearing a brace around his jaw for all of the tournament’s matches, after a collision with another player during a Premier League game in May left him with a broken jaw.
“It is a bit difficult with the heat… it’s different, but I’m getting used to it,” the Tottenham Hotspur defender said, when asked about the newest addition to his kit. “But it's not really going to affect my game."
According to BBC Sport, Spence previously said it “will be three months until it is fully healed… but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw, so it is all good."
Spence could be seen wearing the headgear during England’s 3-0 win against Costa Rica on June 10 in the team’s final friendly before the World Cup.
It’s far from the first time a player has had to wear protective gear in a high-profile tournament.
At EURO 2024, France captain Kylian Mbappé donned a mask after breaking his nose in a collision during his team’s opening game. Some fans likened the mask to the one famously worn by Batman.
Kylian Mbappé wearing a protective mask during a quarter-final game in Hamburg, Germany, on July 5, 2024. Robbie Jay Barratt—Getty Images
At this year’s World Cup—which is being hosted across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.—England’s first official game on June 17 sees the Thomas Tuchel-managed squad take on Croatia.
For Spence, who made his England debut in September as a second-half substitute, his inclusion in the team is a resounding vote of confidence.
When asked why he selected the defender for his 26-man squad, despite him registering no goals or assists for Tottenham in the 2025/2026 season, Tuchel said: “He was excellent in every single match that he played for us [England].”
“He brings something to the group that we don’t have, in his profile. I think he loves defending. He’s the fastest player in our squad and he loves to defend one-on-ones,” he added.
Tuchel went on to admit that Spence’s performance at Tottenham had been a concern discussed behind the scenes prior to the March camp.
He praised Spence’s “excellent” performance in England’s game against Uruguay after those talks, and said that showed he could “really trust him.”
The England men’s team hasn’t won the World Cup since it hosted the tournament in 1966.
Both the players and the fans are hoping this will be the year the team gets to lift the trophy once more.