Ghana begins preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup under new coach Queiroz

Ghana will begin preparations for the 2026 World Cup in Wales this week, at the end of a month-long odyssey for coach Carlos Queiroz, following his late appointment to take the team to the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the US.

Queiroz, who will take charge of the World Cup for the fifth time in a row, took over in April and has spent the past month visiting players at their clubs, looking at potential candidates for the final 26-man squad and trying to learn as much as he can about the squad.

He and staff members traveled to 12 cities, watched 14 matches and studied the form of 55 Ghanaian players by watching videos of more than 200 matches.

The 73-year-old, who has long had a reputation for meticulous preparation, has had little time to get to know his players but will begin working with the first batch to report to camp this week.

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“We have to do the right preparation – training, diet, nutrition, physio, fitness and the details of the set pieces,” Queiroz said in an interview published by the FA.

«It’s easy to say, ‘I want to win the World Cup,’ just like many people want to buy a private jet,» he said. «But you have to be willing to pay the price to make those dreams come true.»

Ghana will be in Wales for 12 days before playing hosts in a friendly in Cardiff on June 2 before heading to the final where they will face Panama, England and Croatia in Group L.

A Ghanaian team, consisting of home players and players under 23, will play against World Cup hosts Mexico in Puebla on Friday.

Published on May 20, 2026