Ghana's Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams believes the Black Stars' biggest weapon at the next World Cup might not be on the pitch — but in the stands.

Speaking on JoyNews' PM Express on Wednesday, Adams said excitement among Ghanaians at home and abroad is already building, even though the current squad lacks some of the superstar names of previous generations.

“I think the energy level is quite high,” Adams said. “If you observe, even when the chief arrived in the United States at that late point, the number of Ghanaians who were at the airport and at the hotel to welcome them should tell you one thing, that Ghanaians in America are ready for the team.”

The tournament, hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico, is expected to draw huge African diaspora crowds. Adams says the enthusiasm goes beyond the US.

“Ghanaians in Canada are ready, and Ghanaians even in Europe are planning to travel that far to also go and watch on their own, and the energy is building up also in Accra here and beyond,” he said.

Adams argued that support for the Black Stars is drawing not only Ghanaians but Africans across the diaspora who want to rally behind one of the continent's representatives.

“In terms of preparation of funds, whether you are talking about Ghanaians in diaspora or Africans in diaspora generally, they are yearning to be behind Ghana, and so I must say that many things are falling in place for us,” he said.

The minister highlighted Ghana's group-stage locations as another advantage. “Just analyse and look at even the draws that we did. Look at the positioning, the cities that we got. These are cities that are heavily loaded with Ghanaians.”

He singled out Toronto as an example: “If you go to Canada, you will all know that Toronto has a huge black population, Ghanaians are there, we didn't choose it.”

Adams, who is also the Member of Parliament for Buem, said the atmosphere around the team gives him confidence that Ghana can exceed expectations. “That is why I say that this World Cup, you may think that we don't have the stars, but let me tell you that we have a team that has a certain spirit behind them that will take us very far.”

Ghana's best World Cup performance came in 2010 when the Black Stars reached the quarterfinals. They also advanced from the group stage in 2006 and 2014, but they didn't do so in 2022.

The 2026 World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams, up from 32. Ghana qualified by finishing top of their Africa qualifying group ahead of Mali, Central African Republic, Comoros, Chad, and Madagascar.

Adams says the combination of strong diaspora backing, growing enthusiasm at home, and the team's fighting spirit could become a powerful asset as Ghana seeks another memorable campaign.

  • Tournament: 2026 FIFA World Cup in USA, Canada, Mexico
  • Ghana's group stage cities: Not yet announced, but include Toronto
  • Ghana's best finish: Quarterfinals in 2010
  • Minister: Kofi Adams, Sports & Recreation Minister and MP for Buem
  • Format: First 48-team World Cup