President John Dramani Mahama has announced that the government will provide match tickets for Ghanaians living abroad who wish to support the Black Stars at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Speaking at a diaspora town hall meeting on Sunday, May 31, 2026, President Mahama explained that the government would not be able to sponsor large groups of supporters travelling from Ghana to the tournament due to the high financial cost involved.

According to him, the estimated cost of transporting, accommodating, feeding, and providing match tickets for each supporter is nearly $11,000, making it impractical for the state to fund mass travel arrangements.

“We cannot spend our money in that manner. The cost approximates for each person to be fed, accommodated, transported and all that to watch the games, tickets and all that is estimated at almost $11,000,” President Mahama stated.

He stressed that the government remains committed to fiscal discipline and cannot justify using public funds to cover the full travel packages of large numbers of football fans.

The President noted that the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted by three countries, presents additional logistical and financial challenges that significantly increase travel expenses.

As a result, unlike previous World Cup tournaments, the government will not fully sponsor supporters travelling from Ghana to attend the matches.

Instead, the government has opted to purchase match tickets for members of the Ghanaian diaspora, enabling them to support the Black Stars from host cities across North America.

“What we are doing is that we are procuring tickets for Ghanaians in the diaspora who want to attend the games. So if you want to attend the game, you will get a ticket to attend the game,” he said.

President Mahama added that arrangements have already been made through Ghanaian community chapters in cities such as Boston and Philadelphia, as well as in Canada, to distribute the tickets.

“We have organised our chapters, our Ghanaian citizens in Boston, Philadelphia and Canada. The tickets that we have purchased, we will give to them to enable them to watch the matches,” he added.

He further encouraged Ghanaians living abroad who plan to attend the matches to engage with recognised community groups, noting that preparations are far advanced to ensure a fair and transparent ticket distribution process.