--- title: "Ghana prepares for FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico; Semenyo central to hopes after Kudus injury" sdDatePublished: "2026-06-17T13:39:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/africa-fifa-world-cup-2026-ghana-jordan-ayew-lead-black-stars-quarter-finals-again" topics: - name: "football" identifier: "medtop:20001065" - name: "sport event" identifier: "medtop:20001108" - name: "sport achievement" identifier: "medtop:20001301" - name: "sports coaching" identifier: "medtop:20001323" - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Portugal" - "Sudan" - "Qatar" - "Japan" - "Cardiff" - "Ghana" - "Mexico" - "Germany" - "Florida" - "Comoros" - "Croatia" - "Russia" - "Morocco" - "Brazil" - "Toyota" - "Niger" - "Angola" - "Panama" - "Uruguay" - "Canada" - "South Africa" - "United States" - "Mali" - "Iran" --- Ghana prepares for FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico; Semenyo central to hopes after Kudus injury Africa at the FIFA World Cup 2026 – Ghana: Can Antoine Semenyo help the Black Stars reach the quarter-finals again? Africa at the FIFA World Cup 2026 – Ghana: Can Antoine Semenyo help the Black Stars reach the quarter-finals again? Ghana famously reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup in 2010, but then failed to make it beyond the group stage in both 2014 and 2022. Can the Black Stars roll back the years and reach the last eight again? The Ghana national football team heads into the FIFA World Cup 2026 with plenty of noise surrounding them. Just months after failing to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, , the Black Stars stormed through their FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing ahead of Mali and Comoros to secure qualification with relative ease. On paper, it was an impressive campaign. Ghana collected 25 points from a possible 30 and scored 25 goals along the way, even if performances at times left supporters unconvinced. The football was not always fluid, but the team rarely looked in danger. Otto Addo returned as head coach in March 2024, one month after Ghana suffered another AFCON group-stage exit under Chris Hughton , the second successive tournament in which they had failed to progress beyond the opening round. The German-born former Ghana international was tasked with rebuilding the side and leading them back to both AFCON and the FIFA World Cup. But while the FIFA World Cup campaign proved successful, the AFCON qualifiers turned into another disappointment. Drawn in a group with Sudan, Niger and Angola, Ghana failed to win a single match and missed out on qualification for the tournament in Morocco. Calls for Addo’s dismissal grew louder, but the Ghana Football Association kept faith with him and they were rewarded with FIFA World Cup qualification. Much of that success was inspired by captain Jordan Ayew , who delivered seven goals and seven assists, the highest combined goal involvement tally of any player in the global qualifiers. Yet qualification alone was not enough to secure Addo’s future. After a run of four consecutive friendly defeats, culminating in a 2-1 loss to Germany , he was dismissed just 72 days before the start of the tournament. Two weeks later, experienced Portuguese coach Carlos Queiroz , who previously led the Islamic Republic of Iran (2014, 2018, 2022) and Portugal (2010) to the FIFA World Cup, was appointed on a short-term contract, tasked with guiding Ghana through another World Cup campaign. Ghana have now qualified for five of the last six editions of the FIFA World Cup, missing only the 2018 tournament in Russia. However, their last two appearances both ended in group-stage exits, and there is growing pressure on this generation to restore memories of the country’s famous run to the quarter-finals in 2010 . It will not be straightforward. Mohammed Kudus, one of Ghana’s standout performers at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, is out through injury. His absence places even greater responsibility on Antoine Semenyo, whose form for Manchester City has elevated expectations around him heading into the competition. The Black Stars also face a demanding challenge in Group L, where they open the campaign against Panama on 17 June in Toronto, before facing England in Boston on 23 June and last-edition bronze medallists Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June. FIFA World Cup 2026 – Ghana’s group stage schedule All times in local time Ghana vs. Panama: Wednesday, June 17, 19:00 EST - Toronto. England vs. Ghana: Tuesday, June 23, 16:00 EST - Boston Croatia vs. Ghana: Saturday, June 27, 2026, 17:00 EST - Philadelphia Ghana at the FIFA World Cup: First appearance: Germany 2006 Appearances: 5 (2006, 2010, 2014, 2022, 2026) Best result: Quarter-finals (2010) TOYOTA, JAPAN - NOVEMBER 14: Antoine Semenyo of Ghana in action during the international friendly match between Japan and Ghana at Toyota Stadium on November 14, 2025 in Toyota, Aichi, Japan. (Photo by Koji Watanabe With 17 Premier League goals this season, Antoine Semenyo arrives at the World Cup as Ghana’s in form player. His performances in England have elevated him into one of the most dangerous forwards in African football. The 26-year-old scored 10 goals in 20 league appearance s for Bournemouth before earning a January move to Manchester City, where he quickly maintained that momentum with seven more goals. Yet his club form has not always carried over to the international stage. In 34 appearances for Ghana, Semenyo has scored only three goals, finding the net just once during the Black Stars’ 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign. At the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar, he played only 36 minutes across the tournament. Four years on, both Semenyo and Ghana will hope this is the stage on which he finally establishes himself in national colours. Much of Ghana’s hopes in the United States, Canada and Mexico may rest on how decisive he can be in the final third. CARDIFF, WALES - JUNE 02: Jordan Ayew of Ghana controls the ball during the international friendly match between Wales and Ghana at Cardiff City Stadium on June 02, 2026 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Warren Little The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be Jordan Ayew’s third for Ghana, following appearances in 2014 and 2022, placing him alongside some of the country’s most experienced internationals, including his brother André Ayew, Asamoah Gyan and Sulley Muntari . At 34, Ayew remains one of Ghana’s key figures. He was central to their qualification campaign, finishing with seven goals and seven assists across 10 matches. His club and international form have often moved in opposite directions. He endured relegation with Leicester City at the end of the 2025 season, the second straight drop for the club, which has fallen from the Premier League to England’s third tier in just two years. For Ghana, however, Ayew continues to deliver. He drew level with brother Andre on 120 caps as Ghana's record cap holder versus Wales on 4 June. Should he lead Ghana out in their opening game against Panama, he is likely to do so as the nation’s most capped player. It is a creditable achievement for a player who has often been a figure of scrutiny, frequently measured against the legacy of his legendary father, Abedi Pele. Yet, as the FIFA World Cup approaches, he is expected to remain important to Ghana’s ambitions, with any success likely to hinge heavily on his influence. Hannibal Mejbri: Lighting the Way for Tunisia | World at their Feet: World Cup 2026 Hannibal sits at the heart of Tunisia’s ambitions at the FIFA World Cup 2026. With his technical flair, relentless work ethic, and unmistakable presence, he embodies a new generation unafraid to express itself. As Tunisia steps onto the world stage, Hannibal’s energy could be the spark that drives them forward. Defining moments in World Cup history The Black Stars are one of Africa’s most recognisable national teams at the FIFA World Cup, and for good reason. When the tournament was hosted in Africa for the first time in 2010, Ghana were the only African side to reach the knockout stages . They went on to the quarter-finals, becoming just the third African team to reach that stage, after Cameroon (1990) and Senegal (2002). Their run was ended in one of the tournament’s most controversial moments. In extra-time of their quarter-final against Uruguay, Luis Suárez handled a goal-bound effort on the line. Asamoah Gyan missed the resulting penalty, and Ghana eventually lost on penalties, falling agonisingly short of a historic semi-final place. Cheered on by a continent and carrying expectations beyond their borders, their legacy from that tournament was firmly cemented. Signs of their potential had come earlier. On their FIFA World Cup debut in 2006, Ghana were again the only African side to advance from the group stage. A 2–0 win over Czechia (formerly known as Czech Republic), then ranked second in the world, announced them on the global stage. They were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Brazil, but earned widespread praise for their bold, expansive style of play. The 2014 tournament in Brazil was overshadowed by off-field disputes , which disrupted their campaign and contributed to a group-stage exit. They missed out entirely in 2018, before returning at the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. That tournament presented a symbolic rematch with Uruguay, offering Ghana a chance to revisit the pain of 2010. But in a decisive group game, they lost 2–0, ending another campaign at the group stage. As the Black Stars head into the 2026 tournament, the aim is to return to the heights that defined their early FIFA World Cup history. FORTALEZA, BRAZIL - JUNE 21: Asamoah Gyan of Ghana celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Group G match between Germany and Ghana at Castelao on June 21, 2014 in Fortaleza, Brazil. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths Few figures carry as much symbolic weight for Ghana at the World Cup as Asamoah Gyan. ‘Baby Jet’, as he is affectionately called, remains Africa’s all-time leading scorer at the FIFA World Cup, with six goals. He announced himself on the global stage in 2006, aged just 20, scoring the fastest goal of the tournament after just 68 seconds , with a left-footed strike against Petr Čech in Ghana’s 2–0 win over Czechia. Over the next decade, he became the leading figure in Ghana’s national team, earning 109 caps and scoring 51 goals, making him the country’s all-time leading scorer. His defining tournament came in 2010, when he inspired Ghana’s run to the quarter-finals in South Africa. He scored three times during the campaign, including a dramatic extra-time winner against the United States in the Round of 16. Ghana ultimately fell short of the semi-finals in the most painful of circumstances, but Gyan’s influence was undeniable. Six months before that World Cup, he had also led a young Black Stars side to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where they were beaten by Egypt. By 2014, Gyan was captain . Despite off-field issues affecting Ghana’s campaign in Brazil, he still scored twice, including a composed finish against Manuel Neuer in a memorable 2–2 draw with Germany. In recent years, he has remained a presence around the national team set-up, offering guidance to younger forwards despite not holding an official role. Players such as Antoine Semenyo have spoken about the value of his influence. Picture by 2026 Getty Images Picture by 2025 Getty Images Picture by 2014 Getty Images