Abuja: Ghana may have landed one of the toughest African draws for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after being grouped with England, Croatia and Panama.
The draw, held at the Kennedy Centre in Washington, D.C., revealed opponents for Africa’s nine qualified teams for the expanded 48-nation tournament.
It marks the first significant milestone ahead of the Mundial scheduled for June 11 to July 18, across Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The 2026 edition features 12 groups of four teams, with the top two and the best eight third-placed sides advancing to the knockout rounds.
African Teams’ World Cup Groups
Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, European playoff D
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti
Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao
Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, European playoff B
Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand
Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde
Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, FIFA Playoff tournament 2
Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan
Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana
With anticipation building, Africa’s representatives now begin complete preparation for a World Cup expected to be the biggest and most competitive yet.