Black Stars depart Cardiff for U.S. ahead of 2026 World Cup

The Black Stars of Ghana have departed Cardiff for the United States as preparations intensify ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The national team, who have spent close to two weeks in camp in the United Kingdom, are now headed to their new training base in Providence, Rhode Island, where final preparations will continue.

Head coach Carlos Quieroz announced his final 26-man squad on Monday, June 1, as Ghana finalised its selection for the tournament set to be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

On Tuesday, June 2, the team rounded off a key phase of their preparations with a friendly at Cardiff City Stadium. Caleb Yirenkyi opened the scoring in the second half, but Ghana were pegged back late on after defensive lapses allowed Lewis Koumas to restore parity for the home side.

With that outing concluded, attention now shifts fully to fine-tuning tactics and building cohesion ahead of the global showpiece. The Black Stars are expected to complete their preparations with another friendly against Jamaica on June 10.

Ghana, who will be making their fifth appearance at the World Cup, have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia. They open their campaign against Panama on June 17, before facing England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27.

The four-time African champions will be aiming to progress beyond the group stage for the first time since their historic quarter-final run at the 2010 FIFA World Cup.