The Ministry of Sports and Recreation spent approximately US$1.26 million to procure 2,922 tickets for Ghana’s three group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, has disclosed.

The tickets were procured for Ghana’s matches against Panama, England and Croatia, with 948 tickets allocated for the opening game against Panama, 1,000 for the England fixture and 974 for the final group-stage match against Croatia.

Mr Adams disclosed the expenditure when he appeared before Parliament’s Youth and Sports Committee on Thursday, September 17, 2026, to explain the Ministry’s preparations for Ghana’s participation in the tournament.

He told the committee that the tickets were not procured for sale, but were intended to facilitate the participation of supporters, Ghanaians in the diaspora and other identified groups associated with the national team’s campaign.

“We spent about $1.26 million in the procurement of the 2,922 tickets,” he said.

10% FIFA administrative charge

Mr Adams explained that the amount paid by the Ministry included a 10 per cent administrative charge permitted by FIFA on the face value of the tickets.

Consequently, the actual cost of each ticket to the Ministry was higher than its stated FIFA face value.

For Ghana’s opening group-stage match against Panama, the Ministry procured 948 tickets.

This included 100 Category One tickets, each carrying a FIFA face value of US$450. With the 10 per cent administrative charge, the actual cost of each of those tickets rose to US$495.

The Ministry also procured supporter premium, supporter standard, supporter value and supporter entry tickets for the Panama match, with the various categories attracting different face values and corresponding prices after the administrative charge.

The same pricing structure applied to the tickets procured for Ghana’s other group matches.

England match

For the much-anticipated Ghana-England encounter, the Ministry procured 1,000 tickets.

Of these, 100 were Category One tickets, each with a FIFA face value of US$600.

After the 10 per cent administrative charge, the actual cost of each Category One ticket rose to US$660.

The remaining tickets were spread across the various supporter categories, with their respective costs determined by the face values set for the different categories and the applicable administrative charge.

Croatia fixture

For Ghana’s final group-stage match against Croatia, the Ministry procured 974 tickets.

Again, 100 of the tickets were in the Category One class.

Each Category One ticket had a FIFA face value of US$500, but the Ministry paid US$550 per ticket after the 10 per cent administrative charge.

The different categories of supporter tickets accounted for the remainder of the allocation.

The combined allocation across the three matches brought the total number of tickets procured by the Ministry to 2,922.

Who received the tickets?

Mr Adams said the tickets were distributed among a range of groups connected to Ghana’s participation in the tournament.

The beneficiaries included members of the Ghana Supporters Union, Ghana’s High Commissions in Canada and the United States, Ghanaians living in the diaspora, the Ghana Students Association, the official government delegation and selected officials of the Ghana Football Association (GFA).

The Minister said the initial arrangement was to give more than 800 tickets to supporters, with the remaining tickets going to Ghanaians.

The allocation was subsequently adjusted following challenges encountered by some prospective travellers in obtaining visas.

Visa challenges alter allocation

According to Mr Adams, difficulties with visa applications at some visa centres affected the Ministry’s original distribution plans.

As a result, the Ministry decided to allocate more tickets to Ghanaians who were already resident in the diaspora and would therefore not face the same visa-related constraints.

“The decision was taken that we will give many more of the tickets to Ghanaians who are already in the diaspora to be able to pay,” he told the committee.

The adjustment meant that a greater proportion of the available tickets would go to Ghanaians already living in the countries where the matches would be played or who could travel without the visa difficulties encountered by others.

Three matches

The 2,922 tickets cover Ghana’s three group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The allocation was not evenly distributed among the three fixtures.

The Panama match received 948 tickets, while the Ministry procured 1,000 tickets for the England match and 974 tickets for the Croatia game.

The ticket procurement therefore formed part of the government’s arrangements to ensure Ghanaian support at the tournament while accommodating government representatives, students, supporters and Ghanaians living outside the country.

The explanation before Parliament provides a breakdown of how the Ministry arrived at the cost of the tickets, including the additional 10 per cent FIFA administrative charge applied to their face values.

Mr Adams’ appearance before the Youth and Sports Committee also brings the ticket procurement and distribution arrangements into the parliamentary record as Ghana prepares for its participation in the 2026 World Cup.