2026 World Cup: Carlos Queiroz hails 'fair result' after Ghana hold England in Boston

Ghana head coach Carlos Queiroz says the goalless draw with England was a fair reflection of a tightly contested Group L clash at the Boston Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The Black Stars, who opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Panama, produced a disciplined and organised defensive performance on Tuesday night to frustrate a dominant England side that controlled long spells of possession but lacked a cutting edge in the final third.

Queiroz praised his team’s tactical discipline and resilience, insisting the game plan was executed to near perfection against one of the tournament favourites.

"The first goal is achieved, and we qualified for the second round," the former Egypt and Iran coach said after the game.

"I am so proud of the way our players fought during the game and how much they stand behind the game plan. They always believed.

The Portuguese coach also acknowledged England’s quality while defending Ghana’s pragmatic approach, describing Thomas Tuchel’s side as strong contenders for the title.

"My humble opinion is that England can be a candidate to win the World Cup. It is a gift for our fans. It is a gift for some of the players we lost.

"That's the way to win when you have to defend, you defend. I cannot play samba when they play rock and roll."

Explaining Ghana’s approach, Queiroz said the strategy was to frustrate England early before gradually growing into the match, while accepting the draw as a justified outcome.

"The goal was to finish the first half with the England team frustrated and no solution to beat us. That was when we started to grow up and control the game. We could score, but unfortunately, we didn't do it. I think England could score, so a draw was a fair result."

Looking ahead, he framed Ghana’s progress as already meeting their primary objective.

"Happiness. Win is happiness, but in this moment, the win is nothing. We reached the second stage, which was the goal."

England now shift focus to their final group match against Panama, while Ghana prepare for a decisive showdown with Croatia, with qualification to the knockout stage still on the line.