2026 World cup: Ghana Black Stars to play Austria in a friendly
22nd January 2026
Ghana’s Black Stars will face Austria in an international friendly in Vienna as part of their build-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match will be played at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Friday, 27 March 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 17:00 GMT. Both sides have already secured qualification for the expanded World Cup, which will be staged in Canada, Mexico and the United States in June.
The friendly offers Ghana a valuable test against European opposition as they prepare for a challenging group at the tournament. The Black Stars have been drawn in Group I alongside England, Croatia and Panama, while Austria will compete in Group J with reigning world champions Argentina, Algeria and Jordan.
The Austria fixture is one of two warm-up matches lined up for Ghana during the March international window. Otto Addo’s side will also take on Germany on Monday, 30 March, in what promises to be another high-profile test.
At the World Cup, Ghana will open their campaign against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, in Toronto. They will then face England in Boston on 23 June before concluding the group stage against Croatia on 27 June.
With the countdown to the tournament now well underway, the friendlies against Austria and Germany are expected to provide key opportunities for the Black Stars to fine-tune their squad, assess combinations and build momentum ahead of football’s biggest stage.