Jaw brace headgear is keeping injured players on the field at the World Cup: What to know

In a sport of headers and constant collisions, a fractured jaw would seem like a tournament-ending injury.

Not so much at the 2026 World Cup.

Austria defender Stefan Posch and England defender Djed Spence stand out on the field for the black jaw braces they have been wearing in matches.

Jaw braces the latest in protective gear for injured players

Players have long had to wear face protections for injuries like fractured cheek bones or broken noses.

Frances’ Kylian Mbappé wore a face mask during the 2024 European Championship after breaking his nose in the opening match. Former Czech Republic goalkeeper Petr Cech wore a helmet for years after a near fatal collision and skull injury during a match.

The jaw braces Spence and Posch wear are custom-fit devices that wrap around the back of the neck, over the top of the head and under the chin to keep the jaw stable through the wear and tear of a game.

Playing through the pain

Spence wears his after suffering a fractured jaw in one of Tottenham’s final matches of the Premier League season, when he took a flying elbow to the face on a header.

Instead of surgery that might knock him off the World Cup squad, Spence opted for the brace. Before the tournament, he called it uncomfortable, but necessary.

“Luckily I play football with my feet and not my jaw. So I was all good,” Spence said before the World Cup.

He has played in all four England games so far, and started the round of 32 win over Congo. England plays Mexico on Sunday in the round of 16.

Posch had little time to adjust to his new headgear. He was injured in a collision with a Jordan defender in Austria’s 3-1 win in first match of the tournament.

Austria feared it would lose him for the rest of the World Cup, but two trips to Los Angeles to get fitted for the brace had him back on the pitch in time for the next match against Argentina.

Posch’s tournament ended Thursday with Austria’s 3-0 loss Spain.

___

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here