Black Stars head coach Otto Addo is set to announce the squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup friendlies this week, according to a report by JoyNews.

The friendlies form part of the Black Stars' preparatory games ahead of the main tournament in June; consequently, Otto Addo will release the list of players who will represent Ghana in the two high-profile international friendlies against Austria and Germany later this month.

Ghana will first take on Austria on Friday, March 27, at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna at 17:00 GMT.

After that, the squad will travel to Germany for their second friendly, where the four-time African champions will face the 2014 world champions on Monday, March 30, 2026, in Stuttgart.

Ghana will end their preparations with another friendly against Mexico in May and another clash against Wales on June 2.

Making their fifth appearance at the World Cup, Ghana have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia.

Final squad to be announced in June

Otto Addo is expected to release the final squad list for the 2026 World Cup in June next year.

This was confirmed by the Communications Director of the Ghana Football Association (GFA), Henry Asante Twum, in an interview with Accra-based radio station Asempa FM on December 15. He explained that all qualified nations are required by FIFA to announce their provisional squads on April 11, 2026, with final lists due before midnight on June 1, 2026.

“All qualified teams, including the Black Stars of Ghana, are mandated by FIFA to announce their provisional squad on April 11, 2026. The final squads for the tournament must be announced before midnight on June 1, 2026,” he said.

He added that players performing well both domestically and abroad will be considered for selection.

“Every Ghanaian player with a strong performance is closely monitored by the technical team, and regardless of where they play, they will be given a call-up,” Asante Twum noted.

Ghana has been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia following a draw held at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The ceremony was attended by high-profile figures, including President Donald Trump, entertainers Kevin Hart and Heidi Klum, as well as sports icons Tom Brady, Shaquille O’Neal, Rio Ferdinand and Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan.

The Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, before facing England on June 23 in Boston. They will conclude the group stage against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia.

The 2026 tournament, which will be co-hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico, will mark Ghana’s fifth appearance at the World Cup, having previously competed in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2022. Their best performance came in 2010, when they reached the quarter-finals in South Africa.

After Ghana discovered their group stage opponents, the Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, charged the national team’s technical team to make the squad selection based on competence and talent, rather than sentiment.

Speaking during an interview with Sporty FM, the Buem Member of Parliament (MP) emphasised that Ghana must select the best players to make up the 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament squad.

“We must call up the best, as I have always insisted. A lot of it is emotional, but you also need technical capabilities and sound judgment. You have to decide based on performance and readiness, not just history or popularity. The country must go with its best,” he noted.

He pledged his support for the coach in whatever decisions he makes to ensure the best outcome for the team.

“...Wherever we find it, the coach has my support. Whoever is responsible for the team will have my support,” he added.

Budget allocation for the team

The government has announced a (GHS 150million) hundred and fifty million($13m) to fund the team's preparations for the World’s biggest football tournament.

During the presentation of the 2026 Budget Statement by the Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, on the floor of Parliament yesterday, he explained that,

“The government’s sustained investment in sports yielded impressive results, with the Black Stars qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. An amount of GH¢150 million has been allocated for the Black Stars to participate in the World Cup,” he stated.

Dr Forson explained that the funding underscores the government’s wider strategy to support national teams competing on the global stage and to strengthen sports development nationwide.

He added that the government remains committed to improving sports infrastructure and nurturing talent across the country, noting that plans are underway to build new stadiums in selected regions.