Govt spent $1.26m on ticketing for the just-ended 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has revealed.

He disclosed this during an appearance before Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee on Thursday, September 17, highlighting that the amount was used to procure 2,922 tickets for Ghana’s matches.

The tickets covered the group-stage matches against Panama, England and Croatia, with 948 tickets procured for the Panama game, 1,000 for the England match and 974 for the Croatia fixture.

According to him, said the tickets were not intended for sale.

He said the cost of the tickets included a 10% administrative charge permitted by FIFA on the face value of the tickets.

“We spent about $1.26 million in the procurement of the 2,922 tickets,” he said.

For the Ghana-Panama match, the Ministry procured 100 Category One tickets, with a FIFA face value of $450 and an actual cost of $495 after the 10% administrative charge.

The Ministry also procured supporter premium, supporter standard, supporter value and supporter entry tickets at varying face values and corresponding prices after the administrative charge.

For the Ghana-England match, the Ministry procured 1,000 tickets, including 100 Category One tickets at a face value of $600 and an actual cost of $660 after the administrative charge.

For Ghana’s match against Croatia, 974 tickets were procured, including 100 Category One tickets at a face value of $500 and an actual cost of $550 after the 10% administrative charge.

Mr Adams said the tickets were shared among members of the Ghana Supporters Union, Ghana’s High Commissions in Canada and the United States, and Ghanaians living in the diaspora.

Other beneficiaries included the Ghana Students Association, the official government delegation and selected officials of the Ghana Football Association.

According to him, the initial plan was to give more than 800 tickets to supporters, with the rest allocated to Ghanaians.

However, challenges with visa applications at some centres prompted the Ministry to increase the number of tickets allocated to Ghanaians already living in the diaspora.

“The decision was taken that we will give many more of the tickets to Ghanaians who are already in the diaspora to be able to pay,” Mr Adams told the committee.