Carlos Queiroz takes Ghana to a first World Cup since 2022, the veteran Portuguese arriving with a CV that includes Real Madrid, Portugal and three previous tournaments in charge of Iran. His remit is to restore competitive credibility after the group-stage exit in Qatar, which followed the quarter-final heartbreak of 2010 — still the high-water mark for this generation of Black Stars. A FIFA ranking of 74 understates the talent available but accurately reflects a decade of underachievement, and qualification through the African section was navigated without ever fully convincing. Reaching the knockout phase, rather than emulating 2010, is the realistic measure.
Key players
Ghana's attacking case rests heavily on Antoine Semenyo, whose 21 goals and 6 assists from 13.7 xG across 48 appearances for Manchester City mark him out as the side's most reliable source of end product; 101 shots and 59 dribbles point to a winger who carries volume as well as efficiency. Behind him, Thomas Partey remains the structural reference point from Villarreal, his 26 tackles, 21 interceptions and 68 ball recoveries in 1,332 minutes describing the screening role he'll reprise in front of the back four. The third name is Kamaldeen Sulemana, nominally the starting left winger after his move to Atalanta, though his 3 goals and 3 assists from 3.7 xG in 1,378 minutes underline how much of Ghana's creative load will fall on Semenyo. Issahaku Fatawu, with 9 goals and 7 assists at Leicester, offers a genuinely productive alternative from the bench should Sulemana's output stall.
Predicted XI
Form going into the tournament
Queiroz lines Ghana up in a 4-3-3 built around transition rather than sustained possession, with Partey screening a back four that sits in a mid-block and springs forward once turnovers arrive. The press is selective — triggered on wide passes into the opposition full-back — and the build-up leans on Seidu stepping into midfield from right-back to free Partey, who drops between the centre-halves. That leaves the wide forwards, Semenyo and Sulemana, isolated against full-backs in space, which is the whole point. Two questions linger. The left wing is genuinely contested, with Sulemana penciled in but Bonsu Baah offering a more direct creative profile. And centre-back depth is thin behind the first-choice pair; an injury to either exposes a back line that already concedes territory by design.
Team form
Group L offers no soft landing. The opener against Panama, 33rd in FIFA's ranking, is the fixture that effectively defines the campaign: anything less than three points and the maths turn brutal, because what follows is England at 4th and Croatia at 11th, two sides Ghana will likely need to frustrate rather than outplay. Our model has them exiting at the Round of 32, where they are projected to meet Portugal — though the actual bracket hinges on final group standings and the third-place permutations. Reaching that knockout round at all would represent a clean return to the global stage after missing 2022's latter rounds; bowing out in the group, particularly without beating Panama, would register as a clear disappointment given the attacking talent Queiróz has to work with.
Country-form leaders
Club-form leaders
Group stage
Group fixtures
