FIFA President Gianni Infantino is imploring Ghana’s senior national team, the Black Stars, to replicate their iconic 2010 World Cup performance as they prepare for the 2026 edition of the tournament.
According to the FIFA boss, he expects the team to rise to the occasion and deliver a campaign that echoes the brilliance of the Stephen Appiah-led squad that made history in South Africa.
In the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Ghana had an impressive tournament and reached the quarterfinals but missed out on the semifinals after Asamoah Gyan missed a crucial penalty in stoppage time, and the team went on to lose the shootout to Luis Suárez’s Uruguay.
The FIFA boss’s remarks follow the country’s qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States of America, where he congratulated them.
Ghana’s participation in next year’s biggest football competition was confirmed following the home win on Sunday against Comoros in the last round of matches in the qualifiers.
Mr. Infantino congratulated the team for their qualification and expressed that the Ghanaian side reproduces their impressive and succesful journey they had some 15 years ago in the tournament held on the continent
“Congratulations to the Black Stars on reaching the FIFA World Cup for the 5th time in history. We expect that your team will establish more global stars to follow in the footsteps of the famous team that made the quarterfinals of the tournament in South Africa in 2010,” he stated.
The FIFA President further expressed optimism about what the Ghanaian fans represent and indicated that “Your fans will bring colour, style, and passion to the greatest FIFA World Cup ever in 2026.”
Ghana will know their group opponents in the final tournament draw scheduled to take place on December 5, 2025.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup becomes the fifth time Ghana will partake in the global football stage after 2006, 2010, 2014, and 2022.
