By Daniel Bampoe
The National Democratic Congress government’s decision to commit an estimated $27 million towards the participation in the 2026 FIFA World Cup has sparked fresh debate over sports financing, with critics questioning why taxpayers must shoulder such a significant burden when FIFA already provides substantial financial support to participating nations.
The controversy intensified after Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams defended the World Cup budget during an appearance on Citi TV’s Point of View programme with Bernard Avle, where he sought to justify additional government expenditure despite FIFA’s participation grant of approximately $11 million for each country competing at the tournament.
The issue has reignited longstanding concerns over transparency and accountability in sports administration, particularly following public uproar over expenditure related to the 2023 African Games and the African Athletics Championships hosted in Accra.
Those events generated intense scrutiny after allegations of inflated costs, questionable procurement processes and unresolved financial discrepancies surfaced during parliamentary investigations and audit reviews.
Against this backdrop, many Ghanaians have been demanding greater clarity on the actual cost of the Black Stars’ participation in the World Cup, especially after reports emerged that government could spend up to $27 million on the national team’s campaign in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
During the interview, Bernard Avle challenged the rationale behind seeking additional funding and launching corporate fundraising initiatives when FIFA is expected to provide each participating nation with approximately $11 million simply for reaching the tournament.
The host argued that FIFA’s participation fee appears to have been designed to offset the cost of competing in the group stage, questioning why y government would need to raise further resources.
“If FIFA is giving every country $11 million for the first round, then I believe the calculation is that it should be the average amount required for participation. Essentially, they are paying you back because you are the entertainment and FIFA generates revenue from your participation,” Avle argued.
However, the Sports Minister rejected suggestions that the FIFA allocation would be sufficient to cover Ghana’s entire World Cup budget.
According to Kofi Adams, the FIFA grant only caters for the basic costs associated with participation in the group stage and does not account for broader operational, logistical and administrative expenses that accompany a national team at a tournament of such magnitude.
He said Ghana Government has already allocated $16 million for the team’s participation in the tournament.
He stressed that the government’s ambitions extend beyond merely making up the numbers at the World Cup.
“The government expects us to go beyond the first round. In fact, the government expects us to go all the way and be among the top four,” Adams stated.
The Minister explained that progressing beyond the group stage would inevitably increase costs as accommodation, transportation, training facilities, bonuses, logistics and other operational requirements expand throughout the competition.
He further revealed that the official Black Stars delegation is significantly larger than the 26-man playing squad that will represent Ghana on the pitch.
According to him, government will be responsible for a contingent comprising 26 players, 22 technical and support staff members, as well as approximately five management committee members.
This means the state-funded delegation could comprise between 53 and 56 individuals who will require accommodation, feeding, internal transportation, medical support, training arrangements and other logistical services throughout the tournament.
The Minister clarified that officials of the Ghana Football Association, including the GFA President and General Secretary, are not included in the state-funded budget and would have to rely on alternative sources of financing.
He disclosed that the Ministry has introduced a corporate fundraising initiative aimed at attracting sponsorship and private sector support to cater for additional categories of persons associated with the World Cup campaign.
“The state’s responsibility is to the team,” Kofi Adams explained, insisting that government funds would only be used for the officially approved delegation.
