Asantehene to cheer Black Stars in World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto
The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, is expected to lend his support to Ghana’s national football team when the Black Stars begin their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign against Panama in Toronto, Canada, on 17 June.
According to reports, the revered traditional ruler will attend the Group L opener at BMO Field after travelling from Poland, where he was on an official visit last week.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu II will also serve as the Special Guest of Honour at the 2026 FIFA World Cup Business Summit, scheduled to take place in Toronto from 15 to 21 June. The summit is being organised by the Canada-Ghana Chamber of Commerce in partnership with other stakeholders and is expected to bring together business leaders, policymakers and sports industry figures from around the world.
His presence at the tournament is expected to provide a morale boost for the Black Stars as they seek to make a strong start to their World Cup journey.
Ghana will head into the tournament after concluding their preparations with an international friendly against Jamaica on 10 June. The warm-up fixture follows a 1-1 draw with Wales as the team fine-tunes its plans ahead of football’s biggest stage.
Drawn in a challenging Group L, the Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama before facing England on 23 June in Boston, United States. They will then conclude their group-stage matches against Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June.
The four-time African champions are hoping to advance beyond the group stage and make a deep run in the competition. Ghana’s best World Cup performance came in 2010 when the Black Stars reached the quarter-finals in South Africa, becoming only the third African nation to achieve that feat.
With the support of millions of Ghanaians at home and abroad, and with the Asantehene set to be among those cheering them on from the stands, expectations will be high as the Black Stars look to write a new chapter in their World Cup history.
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