Following President Mahama’s announcement that the government will not sponsor fans' travel to the World Cup but will instead secure tickets for interested supporters in the diaspora to cheer on and boost the morale of the Black Stars, the decision was welcomed by many Ghanaians abroad.

The announcement generated significant interest among members of the diaspora, particularly those in the United States, with many expressing a desire to attend the tournament using the tickets.

However, addressing the issue of ticket availability, Ghana’s Embassy in Washington, D.C., announced in a statement on Thursday, June 11, that it has not yet received the tickets allocated for Ghanaian supporters in the United States for the upcoming FIFA World Cup matches.

The embassy stated that once the tickets and the modalities for their distribution are received, the information will be communicated to the diaspora community and the tickets distributed fairly, as it awaits how they should be shared.

“The Embassy of Ghana in Washington D.C. wishes to inform the Ghanaian diaspora in the United States that the Mission is yet to receive tickets for the World Cup games,” the notice stated.

The embassy assured Ghanaians that information regarding ticket allocation and distribution procedures would be communicated once the tickets are received.

“As soon as the mission receives the allocated tickets and modalities on how to distribute them, it will be communicated to the diaspora community accordingly,” the statement added.

About FIFA ticketing

Last year, a global statement shared by FIFA suggests that half a million requests for tickets have been made from across the world for tickets for the upcoming World Cup in June.

The statement shared on the football governing body on Wednesday, January 14, mentioned that, “more than half a billion ticket requests submitted during the Random Selection Draw ticket sales phase, which ran from Thursday, 11 December 2025 to Tuesday, 13 January 2026.

FIFA said it received approximately 15 million ticket requests daily over the about a month application window, marking a new record in the history of football.

“With each application validated by unique credit card data, fans placed an average of 15 million ticket requests per day over the 33-day application window, setting a new benchmark for demand in the history of world sport”, parts of the statement said.

Out of the over 500 million ticket requests, the majority came from Germany, England, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Argentina and Colombia, aside from the host countries; USA, Mexico and Canada.

In November 2024, the White House announced that fans set to travel for the tournament to the USA will be given the FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System (Pass), given that most of the matches will be played there.

The FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System (FIFA PASS) is a special visa‑interview scheduling program created by the U.S. government and FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. It gives ticket holders priority access to U.S. visa appointments, ensuring fans can travel to matches in North America despite existing visa backlogs.

Speaking during a joint press briefing with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House in Washington, D.C., on 17 November, President Donald Trump mentioned that “I’ve directed my administration to do everything within their power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success.”

Detailing how the ‘World’ will gain access into the US, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that, ticket-holders for the tournament, set for next June and July in the US, Canada and Mexico, will not be automatically granted a tourist visa.

But foreign nationals with tickets to World Cup football matches could get an interview at an embassy or consulate within six to eight weeks of applying, Rubio said.

“Your ticket is not a visa; it doesn’t guarantee admission to the US. We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we’re moving them up in the queue,” the Secretary noted.

At the same press briefing, FIFA President Gianni Infantino revealed that about 10 million people could come to the US to watch World Cup matches.

“With this FIFA Pass, we can make sure that those who buy a ticket, who are legitimate football fans or soccer fans, can come and attend the World Cup in the best conditions, starting from getting their visa,” he said.