In a sport that relies on headers and repeated collisions, a broken jaw might seem like an injury that would end any player's tournament — but that has not been the case at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Austria defender Stefan Posch and his England counterpart Djed Spence have stood out on the pitch thanks to the black jaw braces they have been wearing during matches at the current World Cup, hosted across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Jaw braces represent the latest development in protective equipment for injured players. In the past, many players were forced to wear face guards to protect against injuries such as cheekbone fractures or broken noses.
France's Kylian Mbappé wore a face mask during UEFA Euro 2024 after suffering a broken nose in the opening match, while former Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Čech wore a helmet for years following a near-fatal collision that left him with a fractured skull during a match.
The jaw braces worn by Spence and Posch are custom-designed devices that wrap around the back of the neck, over the head and under the chin to stabilise the jaw during play.
Spence has been wearing the brace after suffering a broken jaw in one of Tottenham Hotspur's final Premier League matches, when he was struck in the face by an opponent's elbow during an aerial challenge.
Rather than undergo surgery that could have ruled him out of his country's World Cup squad, Spence chose to use the brace ahead of the tournament's start, describing it as uncomfortable but necessary.
Before the World Cup began, Spence said: "Luckily, I play football with my feet and not my jaw, so I was fine."
Spence has featured in all 4 of England's matches so far, starting in the team's round-of-32 victory over the Democratic Republic of Congo, as the Three Lions prepare to face Mexico in the round of 16.
Posch had little time to adjust to his new jaw brace after he was injured in a collision with a Jordan player during Austria's 3-1 win in the team's first match at the 2026 World Cup.
Austria feared he would miss the rest of the team's matches in the tournament, but two trips to Los Angeles to be fitted for the brace brought him back onto the pitch in time for the next match against Argentina.
Posch's run in the current World Cup came to an end following Austria's 0-3 defeat to Spain.