LA Galaxy attacker Joseph Paintsil has expressed strong confidence in Ghana’s ability to advance beyond the group stage at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, insisting the Black Stars possess the depth and quality needed to compete at the highest level.
Despite recent disappointments, including early exits at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and the 2022 tournament in Qatar, as well as failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the four-time African champions have secured a return to football’s biggest stage for the fifth time in their history.
Ghana have been handed a daunting Group L assignment at the expanded 48-team tournament, where they will come up against Panama, England and Croatia. The competition will be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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Speaking ahead of the tournament, Paintsil believes lessons learned from past campaigns could prove decisive this time around, provided the squad and technical team pull in the same direction.
“We have good players and a higher chance of qualifying for the next round if we do well. It all depends on the players and management coming together as a team to deliver for the country,” Paintsil told Citi Sports.
The winger also stressed that success at the World Cup demands more than words, highlighting commitment and responsibility to the national cause.
“Sometimes you don’t have to talk about it; you have to know that this is the job we have to do, we have to give everything we have for Ghanaians and for the badge,” he added.
The Black Stars will kick off their World Cup journey against Panama on June 17 in Toronto, before testing themselves against England on June 23 in Boston. They will conclude their group-stage campaign with a clash against Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia, with progression to the knockout phase firmly in their sights.
