World Cup 2026: Ghana releases $6.4m to fund Black Stars campaign

The Ghanaian government has released more than 76 million cedis (about US$6.49 million) to support the Black Stars ahead of their participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, officials have confirmed.

The funding, announced in a statement on Friday, comes just days before Ghana’s squad begins its tournament campaign across the United States, Canada and Mexico, as preparations intensify for the global competition.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the allocation has been approved to cover both the team’s preparations and their participation in the group stage, as well as to settle outstanding qualification bonuses owed to players and technical staff.

The statement said GH¢58,929,500 — equivalent to around US$5 million — has been released in advance to finance training, logistics and other expenses connected to Ghana’s early tournament commitments.

Officials added that the early disbursement is intended to ensure the national team and coaching staff are provided with adequate resources to compete at the highest level.

In addition, GH¢17,537,419.20 (approximately US$1.488 million) has been set aside to pay bonuses that remain outstanding from the World Cup qualifying campaign.

The government said this forms part of an agreement reached during qualification, under which half of the bonuses were paid during the campaign, with the remainder due once a place at the finals was secured.

The release of funds highlights the financial commitment being made as Ghana prepares for its fifth appearance at the World Cup.

The Black Stars previously featured in the tournament in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022, with their most successful run coming in South Africa in 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals before a dramatic penalty shootout defeat denied them a place in the last four.

On the sporting front, Carlos Queiroz’s squad has recently completed a training camp in Washington and has now moved to Providence, Rhode Island, where final preparations are ongoing ahead of their opening fixture.

Ghana will begin its Group L campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, before facing England on June 23 in Boston.

The team will then conclude its group stage fixtures against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia, with hopes of progressing to the knockout rounds.

Attention now turns to whether the investment and preparation will translate into on-pitch success as Ghana looks to build on its previous World Cup experiences and push beyond its historic 2010 quarter-final achievement.