Published On 1/7/2026
England national team defender, Jed Spence, caught attention during the 2026 World Cup by wearing a protective mask on his face, a precautionary measure imposed by a severe injury he suffered before the start of the tournament.
The Tottenham player suffered a fracture in his jaw during his team’s match against Chelsea in the English Premier League last May, after he received a strong blow to the elbow of striker Liam Delap in the final minutes of the match.
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Despite the injury, Spence completed the match until the end, before returning after only five days wearing a specially made medical mask, to contribute to Tottenham’s victory over Everton and ensure the team’s survival in the Premier League.
Doctors confirm that full recovery from a broken jaw requires about three months, which explains why the player was forced to wear a carbon fiber mask throughout the 2026 World Cup to protect the site of the injury.
Spence appeared wearing the mask in all of the England national team’s training sessions, and also played in the group stage matches, admitting that he felt some discomfort, but he gradually got used to it despite the high temperatures.
The player said about his experience in an interview with “The Mirror” newspaper: “It is a little annoying, but I have no choice. I suffer from a broken jaw, so I must wear the mask throughout the tournament. I will need about three months to fully recover.”
For his part, England coach Thomas Tuchel gave Spence full confidence despite the difficult season he had with Tottenham, praising his tactical flexibility and ability to play in more than one position.
Tuchel relied on Spence as a left-back against Ghana, before moving him to the right-back position during the match against Panama.
Why is the number 25 on the mask?
The protective mask worn by Jed Spence bore the number 25, which is a number that was not chosen randomly, as it corresponds to the current age of the player (25 years old), and also corresponds to his shirt number with the England national team in the 2026 World Cup.
As for his club, Tottenham Hotspur, Spence wears the number 24 shirt in the English Premier League.
Spence’s importance increases before facing the Democratic Republic of Congo in the round of 32, in light of the defensive crisis that the English team is suffering from, after the main full-back Reece James injured his back muscle, in addition to doubts about the readiness of Jarrell Quansah due to an ankle injury, which makes Spence the most prominent candidate to occupy the right front while wearing his famous protective mask.
