England defender Djed Spence, 25, will wear a protective mask for the entire 2026 World Cup after suffering a broken jaw in a Premier League match last month against Chelsea striker Liam Delap [1, 2, 3]. The injury came during a collision in May and requires an estimated three months to fully heal [1, 2, 3].
Despite the injury, Spence played through the pain and completed the match against Chelsea. He also wore the mask in Tottenham Hotspur’s final Premier League game of the season versus Everton, helping ensure the club’s survival in the top flight [1, 2, 3]. Spence described the mask as "a little bit uncomfortable but it is what it is," adding, "I've got a broken jaw so I have to wear it throughout the tournament. It'll be three months until it's fully healed, so it's a long time" [1]. He said the pain did not worry him, noting, "It was painful but luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw" [2].
Spence debuted wearing the protective mask for England in their first 2026 World Cup warm-up friendly against New Zealand on June 6, where he assisted a goal [2]. Despite some surprise at his selection given competition from other left-backs including Myles Lewis-Skelly, Lewis Hall, and Luke Shaw, England manager Thomas Tuchel opted for Spence’s inclusion [2].
England will open their World Cup campaign on June 17 in Dallas against Croatia, with Spence expected to wear the mask in this match as well as games against Ghana and Panama in the group stage [1, 3].
