After waiting 54 days following their 1-0 victory over Comoros in the final 2026 World Cup qualifier, Ghana’s Black Stars now know their opponents for the expanded 48-team tournament.
In Group L, the senior national team will face 2018 semi-finalists England, 2018 finalists Croatia, and Panama, who are making only their second World Cup appearance.
These three teams are new foes for Ghana at this level, unlike repeated match-ups in other Groups such as Mexico and South Africa in 2010, or Scotland and Morocco back in 1998.
Having exited at the group stage in their last two World Cups, including Qatar 2022, the Black Stars will be aiming to right past wrongs at the USA, Canada, and Mexico edition.
Head Coach Otto Addo, who has led Ghana to back-to-back World Cups, is expected to advance from Group L but is that truly realistic?
England
Fourteen years ago at Wembley, Ghana’s all-time top scorer Asamoah Gyan produced a brilliant moment by wriggling away from Joleon Lescott inside the box before bending a stunning left-foot curler into the bottom corner to cancel out Andy Carroll’s opener in a friendly. That remains the first and only meeting between the Black Stars and the Three Lions.
England enter the 2026 World Cup ranked fourth in the latest FIFA Men’s Rankings after a flawless qualifying campaign with eight wins from eight, 22 goals scored and none conceded.
Thomas Tuchel’s team, who are winners in 1966, are genuine contenders once again.
They reached the semi-finals in 2018 and the quarter-finals in 2022, and arrive in North America with one of the strongest squads in the tournament.
Captain Harry Kane leads the line, supported by world-class talents like Declan Rice of Arsenal and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.
The Three Lions are also unbeaten against African opposition in eight matches, including five victories at the World Cup.
Croatia
Croatia will be pushing as far as they can as they look to give a fitting send-off to Luka Modrić.
Their captain, now 40, is almost certainly playing in his final major international tournament and could reach the incredible landmark of 200 career caps.
Despite never winning a major international trophy in their young footballing history, Croatia have reached the semi-finals of the last two World Cups and arrive in North America ranked 10th in the latest FIFA standings.
Dalić’s men made light work of the qualifiers, cruising to the top of their group by a six-point margin.
They won seven of their eight matches, drew the other, scored 26 goals and conceded just four.
Their squad still carries enough quality to trouble any opponent, led by Modrić of AC Milan, Manchester City defender Joško Gvardiol and PSV winger Ivan Perišić.
Ghana have never faced Croatia before, but the Europeans have a good record against African nations at the World Cup, winning two of their four meetings and losing just once.
Panama
Panama booked their place at the 2026 World Cup by topping Group A in the Concacaf third round, finishing unbeaten with three wins and three draws against Suriname, Guatemala and El Salvador.
The campaign accentuated their steady rise under head coach Thomas Christiansen.
Next year’s tournament will mark only their second appearance on the world stage and their first since Russia 2018.
They arrive in North America with an experienced squad, the same core group that eliminated the United States from the 2024 Copa América.
Aníbal Godoy (35), Alberto Quintero (37), Eric Davis (34), and goalkeeper Luis Mejía (34) remain influential figures and form the backbone of Christiansen’s team.
Panama sit 30th in the latest FIFA rankings and may not boast the star power of other Group L opponents, but their discipline makes them an unpredictable challenge.
Ghana have never faced Panama in a competitive match, and meetings between Panama and African nations are rare due to their limited World Cup history.
Analysis – Group L poses ‘chance and challenge’ for Ghana
Black Stars coach Otto Addo said Ghana can “beat anyone on a good day” in his reaction to the draw. He’s right and that is the opportunity Ghana must seize.
England are the highest-ranked team in the group with undeniable quality, but Ghana also boast players who know the English game well, including Jordan Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, Mohammed Kudus and Fatawu Issahaku.
Croatia are not the most ruthless side in the final third, a major reason they exited at the group stage of last year’s Euros, and Panama appear on paper to be the potential whipping boys in the group.
However, the Black Stars remain a side capable of slipping on a bad day, and that inconsistency is the challenge they must avoid.
Ghana have never beaten a top-seeded team at the World Cup (3 losses, 1 draw), and that run could easily continue against a far more regimented England under Thomas Tuchel. Croatia are proven competitors at this level, and Panama, ranked 30th in the world – 42 places above Ghana – are not to be underestimated.
Ghana open their campaign on Wednesday, 17 June against Panama, before facing England six days later and wrapping up the group stages against Croatia on 27 June.
Group L is far from straightforward, but a strong start against Panama is tremendously important. Ghana have the experience and quality to edge that contest, and a victory would inject confidence ahead of the final two matches.
With the expanded format allowing the best eight third-placed teams to qualify alongside the top two from each group, a third-place finish remains a realistic target if the Black Stars take their chances.
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