2026 World Cup: I hope Thomas Partey regains full fitness – Anthony Baffoe
Former Ghana international Anthony Baffoe has expressed confidence that midfielder Thomas Partey will rediscover full fitness in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Partey, now at Villarreal following his departure from Arsenal, featured in Ghana’s back-to-back defeats against Austria and Germany during the March international window.
However, the midfielder has struggled for regular minutes since his move to La Liga last summer, raising concerns about his sharpness ahead of the global tournament.
Speaking after Ghana’s recent pre-World Cup friendlies, Baffoe acknowledged the midfielder’s current condition but stressed the importance of players reaching peak form before the competition.
“Thomas Partey is not 100% in shape, which is also fully understandable. They need to be in top form," he said.
As part of their preparations, the Black Stars will regroup in May for a friendly against Mexico before concluding their build-up with a match against Wales on June 2.
Ghana will be making their fifth appearance at the World Cup, having been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England, and Croatia. Their campaign begins against Panama on June 17, followed by fixtures against England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27.
The Black Stars will be hoping to improve on recent performances after consecutive group-stage exits at the 2014 and 2022 tournaments, as they aim to make a stronger impact on the world stage