President of the Ghana Football Association, Kurt Okraku, has confirmed that the Black Stars’ final squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will be unveiled on June 1.
The announcement comes amid growing pressure from football fans and pundits who had questioned the delay in releasing the team list with the tournament fast approaching.
Speaking after Ghana’s 2-0 defeat to Mexico in an international friendly, Okraku urged Ghanaians to continue backing the national team despite recent concerns surrounding preparations for the Mundial.
“The World Cup squad announcement is scheduled for June 1st. Let’s maintain our collective support for our stars,” he stated.
With less than three weeks to the start of the tournament, uncertainty had surrounded the composition of the Black Stars squad, especially after the Football Association failed to release either a provisional or final list.
The debate intensified following the friendly loss to Mexico, a match many supporters viewed as a final audition for fringe players hoping to secure places in the squad for the tournament in North America.
The game featured several debutants, local-based players and returning faces who had been absent from the national team in recent years. Many of the Black Stars’ established stars were unavailable, making the encounter a crucial assessment opportunity for the technical team.
Although newly appointed head coach Carlos Queiroz was absent from the dugout, assistant coach Desmond Ofei took charge of the team during the match.
Attention is now expected to shift to Ghana’s upcoming friendly against Wales on June 2, which is likely to serve as the team’s final preparation game before the World Cup kicks off.
With the squad announcement coming just a day before the Wales encounter, many believe the selected players will form the core of the side expected to represent Ghana at the tournament.
Coach Queiroz is also expected to use the Wales clash to further assess his squad and fine-tune his tactical setup ahead of the competition.
Ghana has been drawn in a challenging World Cup group alongside England, Croatia and Panama.
The Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama on June 17 as they seek to progress beyond the group stage at the global showpiece.
