Finance Minister Explains Why GH¢150m Was Budgeted for Black Stars’ World Cup
Ghana’s Minister for Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has disclosed that the Black Stars used GH¢58 million during their participation at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, significantly below the GH¢150 million that had been earmarked for the team’s campaign.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Citi FM’s Breakfast Show, the Finance Minister explained that the larger allocation was based on the assumption that Ghana would progress deep into the tournament and potentially reach the final.
According to Dr. Forson, the budget submitted to Parliament was designed to cater for the team’s entire World Cup journey, regardless of how far they advanced.
“I went to Parliament and allocated 150 million cedis for the whole campaign, assuming that the national team was going to go all the way to the final,” he said.
However, Ghana’s campaign came to an end in the Round of 32 following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia, reducing the overall expenditure.
“They spent 58 million cedis,” the Finance Minister added.
The Black Stars reached the knockout phase of the expanded 2026 FIFA World Cup after progressing from the group stage, marking the country’s first appearance in the tournament’s elimination rounds since 2010.
With Ghana’s exit before the latter stages of the competition, a substantial portion of the allocated budget remained unused.
