The room at the Kempinski Hotel in Accra had the energy of a nation believing again. On Friday evening, March 20, the Ghana Football Association hosted its World Cup fundraising gala — and corporate Ghana answered the call in spectacular fashion.
The headline act was Engineers & Planners, the mining giant owned by Ibrahim Mahama — the younger brother of President John Dramani Mahama — which committed $5 million as the lead sponsor of Ghana's 2026 World Cup campaign. It is the single largest private contribution to a Black Stars campaign in the country's history. Gold Fields, the South African mining company with major operations in Ghana, followed with a $2 million pledge, plus an additional $1 million earmarked for next year.
Ghana's music industry showed up too. Stonebwoy announced a combined contribution of $101,000 — $81,000 in cash and $20,000 in music services. Shatta Wale pledged $100,000. Between them, Ghana's two biggest dancehall stars contributed over $200,000 to the cause in a single evening.
President John Dramani Mahama, who presided over the event, delivered a clear message on one of the most politically sensitive aspects of World Cup preparations: the government will not be flying supporters to the United States, Canada, and Mexico this summer.
"In consonance with the Dzamefe Report, the government has no plans to allocate public funds to fly supporters to the World Cup," he said. "The logistical support of flying and accommodating even just 200 supporters is staggering. The estimated cost for just 200 supporters is close to $2 million."
The fundraising campaign is designed to help bridge the gap between FIFA prize money and the GFA's proposed $13.7 million budget for the tournament. The GFA has already submitted that budget to the Sports Ministry, covering everything from pre-tournament camps to potential knockout round appearances.
The President did offer one piece of good news for fans at home — the government will support interested television stations in acquiring World Cup broadcast rights, ensuring Ghanaians can follow every Black Stars match without a paywall.
Ghana face Panama on June 17 in Toronto, England on June 23 in Boston, and Croatia on June 27 in Philadelphia. After consecutive group-stage exits in 2014 and 2022, the four-time African champions are determined that this homecoming to North America — where they caused one of football's great upsets by eliminating the United States on their debut in 2006 — will be different.
