Ghana spent GH¢55.08 million on its 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign in the United States, according to Sports Minister Kofi Adams, despite the Black Stars progressing beyond the group stage.
Adams said the figure was lower than the amount Ghana received as its appearance fee for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where the team was eliminated in the group stage.
“Just the appearance fee alone in 2022, Qatar was more than what we spent in the entire appearance that we did in the United States of America,” Adams said in an interview with TV3.
Ghana received GH₵59.15 million as an appearance fee for the Qatar 2022 tournament, the minister said. He added that the overall cost of the country’s campaign at that competition was more than GH₵66 million.
Adams used the figures to defend the government’s spending on the 2026 tournament and questioned whether the earlier campaign had represented better financial management.
“Between a government that spends GH₵55 million when it qualifies out of the group stage and the one that spends GH₵66 million when it left the competition at the group stage, who was prudent?” he asked.
The minister acknowledged that Ghana’s progress to the knockout stage in 2026 created additional costs. The team remained in the United States beyond the period originally planned for its group-stage matches, resulting in extra accommodation and per diem expenses.
Ghana had to stay until 3 July for its knockout-stage match in Kansas. Adams said the additional per diem payments were US$1,000 per person and contributed to the final expenditure.
Despite those extra costs, he maintained that the total spending for the 2026 campaign remained below the appearance fee Ghana received for the 2022 World Cup.
The comparison comes as Adams continues to defend the financial decisions surrounding Ghana’s involvement in the two tournaments. His figures indicate that the 2026 campaign cost GH¢55.08 million, while the 2022 campaign exceeded GH₵66 million, even though the Black Stars did not progress beyond the group stage in Qatar.