Ghana’s hopes of challenging in the build-up to the 2026 World Cup have taken a heavy knock with defender Mohammed Salisu confirmed to miss the tournament after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament earlier this year.
The former Southampton centre back had been a steady presence for the Black Stars and was expected to lead from the back on football’s biggest stage. His absence leaves coach Otto Addo scrambling to fill a leadership void in defence and could test the depth of Ghana’s squad just weeks before their opening match in Group L.
England are drawn in Group L alongside Ghana, Croatia, and Panama. Their opening fixture is against Croatia on June 17 in Dallas. They then face Ghana on June 23 in Boston before concluding group play versus Panama on June 27 in New Jersey.
For England, preparation continues with warm-up matches scheduled against Uruguay on March 27 and Japan on March 31, as part of their pre-tournament buildup and training camp in the United States.
Ghana now heads into the World Cup 2026 without Mohammed Salisu’s calming influence on the pitch, forcing the Black Stars to rethink their defensive blueprint against some of the world’s best.
