Ghana arrives in 2026 with the most chaotic pre-tournament setup of any team in the field. On April 14, exactly 72 days before kickoff, the Ghana Football Association fired manager Otto Addo after consecutive friendly losses to Austria and Germany — and hired the 73-year-old Portuguese veteran Carlos Queiroz, the man who once managed Real Madrid, assisted Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, and led Iran through three consecutive World Cups. He has roughly six weeks to put a squad together.
The good news is the squad mostly picks itself. Antoine Semenyo is a £64m Manchester City winger having the best season of any Ghanaian in Premier League history — 17 goals and an FA Cup final winner. Iñaki Williams is the senior pro, the one who chose Ghana over Spain in 2022 and whose brother Nico plays for La Roja. Thomas Partey anchors the midfield. Jordan Ayew, Alexander Djiku — this is a Premier-League-and-La-Liga squad, deep enough to compete with anyone.
The bad news is Group E. Portugal, Uruguay, South Korea, and the Black Stars in one of the four hardest groups of the draw. The headline, of course, is the rematch — Uruguay knocked Ghana out of the 2010 quarterfinal in extra time on a Suárez handball that Africa is still mad about. Sixteen years on, Ghana finally gets another swing at them. Queiroz, who knows the South American game better than anyone, gets to be the one drawing up the plan. Soccer is rarely this neat with its narratives. Ghana would like very much to make the most of it.
Week 1 Update: Ghana beat Panama by a goal — and Queiroz's 72-day rebuild just produced its first result. Semenyo was sharp, the defense held, and the Black Stars are top of Group L with three points. It was not beautiful, but it didn't need to be. The 2010 rematch narrative is still out there, but for now, Ghana have given themselves something they haven't had in years: room to breathe.
Matchday 2 Update: Ghana 0, England 0 — the deep block held and Queiroz's tactical discipline was the entire story. Ghana absorbed everything England threw at them — 78% possession, wave after wave — and held firm. Four points from two matches (beat Panama, drew England), joint top of Group L. The Black Stars are heading to the knockouts, and the 72-day rebuild just produced its masterpiece.
Matchday 3 Update: Ghana lost 1-2 to Croatia — Luckassen's 73rd-minute header briefly leveled it and had Accra daring to imagine, but Vlašić's 83rd-minute winner off a Modrić corner ended the dream of finishing second. Four points is still enough. Ghana advance to the Round of 32 as one of the eight best third-place teams and face Colombia in Kansas City. Queiroz's 72-day rebuild made the knockouts. The 2010 score with Uruguay stays unsettled — but the Black Stars live to fight another day, and this time with something to prove.
Round of 32 (July 3): Colombia 1-0 Ghana — Jhon Arias' 14th-minute goal was enough, and Ghana's run ends here. The 72-day rebuild that started with a managerial sacking in April — panic hiring Queiroz, then surprising everyone — brought the Black Stars to the knockouts: beat Panama, held England scoreless, advanced on third-place points, and pushed Colombia until the final whistle. Semenyo was dangerous for stretches. Thomas Partey controlled the midfield for long stretches. Colombia's discipline and Arias's composure in front of goal proved the difference. The 2010 score with Uruguay stays unsettled. The Black Stars go home with a head coach worth keeping and a foundation worth building on.
Born in Chelsea, London, rejected by Arsenal, Spurs, Millwall, and Crystal Palace by age 15 — he'd actually quit football before a college coach in Bristol talked him into trying again. Now he's a £64m Manchester City winger, the most expensive Ghanaian player in history, with 17 Premier League goals this season and the backheel finish that won the 2026 FA Cup final. The kid London didn't want is having the best season of anyone in this squad.
Born in Bilbao to Ghanaian parents, played one cap for Spain in 2016, then chose Ghana in 2022 in one of the more meaningful international switches of the modern era. Athletic Club's record for consecutive La Liga appearances (251 and counting). His younger brother Nico plays for Spain — they could meet in a knockout if both teams advance, a moment Nico has publicly said he dreams about. Iñaki is the senior pro of this squad now.
Arsenal's longtime defensive midfielder, 32 years old, recently moved on from the Emirates and the engine room of every good Ghanaian performance for the last six years. When he plays well, Ghana plays well. When he doesn't, they don't. The most direct correlation in the squad. Queiroz's job is to get him to play well in June.
Jollof rice — the dish, the debate, the diaspora war between Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal that has produced more think-pieces than the offside rule. Ghanaian jollof is made with jasmine or basmati rice cooked in a tomato-and-pepper base with a smoky note from the bottom of the pot (the *socarrat*-like layer is the entire point). Then *waakye* — rice and beans cooked with millet leaves until the whole thing turns reddish-brown, served with shito (a black chili paste), boiled egg, fried plantain, gari, and stewed meat. It's breakfast. It's also dinner.
Angie Winners Kitchen (2905 E Arkansas Ln, Grand Prairie) is the play — authentic West African with Ghanaian roots, jollof and waakye both done properly, and a room that fills with the local Ghanaian community on weekends. Hours: Mon–Sat 11am–9pm; closed Sundays. For something more casual or delivery-friendly, Ghana Jollof DTX is exactly what it says on the can: jollof, waakye, fried plantain, banku with tilapia. Order with shito on the side. Bring napkins.
A soundtrack for the matches, the pregame, and the afterparty.
Ghanaian support is one of the great underappreciated traveling crowds in world soccer — the vuvuzelas and *gyil* drums and dancing that defined Africa's 2010 World Cup were largely a Ghanaian export. The shirts are red-yellow-green with a black star, and they get worn three days a week during a tournament. The chant is "Black Stars! Black Stars!" with hand-claps in between. There's an unbroken tradition of fans showing up dressed as soldiers, kings, lions — full-blown costume, no irony. Sit near them and you'll be brought into a circle dance whether you can move or not. The answer is yes, you can.
Ghana was one Asamoah Gyan penalty away from becoming the first African nation in a World Cup semifinal in 2010. The penalty came after Luis Suárez handballed a goal-bound shot off the line in the 121st minute and was sent off — and then celebrated on the touchline as Gyan hit the crossbar. They lost the shootout. Suárez and Uruguay are in Group E with Ghana in 2026. The bracket gods are not subtle.