President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to Ghanaian supporters planning to travel to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to respect visa regulations and return home after the tournament.
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‎Delivering his State of the Nation Address in Parliament on Friday, 27 February, Mr Mahama expressed concern that past incidents of visa overstays by some Ghanaians at international events could jeopardise the country’s renewed travel privileges.
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The 2026 World Cup, to be co-hosted by United States, Canada and Mexico, is expected to attract thousands of Ghanaian fans eager to support the Black Stars.
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‎However, the president warned that failure to comply with visa rules could reverse recent diplomatic progress.
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‎“Supporters and other people interested in going to support the team would have to submit visa requests to the American Embassy,” he told lawmakers.
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“We are being told that we must ensure that supporters who go to the tournament return on the visas. It has taken a lot of work to restore Ghana's five-year non-immigrant visas and take us off the ban list.
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‎“I hope the World Cup does not see thousands of Ghanaians travel to America, refuse to return, and push us back onto the travel ban list.”
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‎In recent years, the United States tightened visa restrictions on several African nations, citing concerns over overstays. Ghana has since worked to restore its standing, including the reinstatement of five-year non-immigrant visas.
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‎On the pitch, Ghana’s national team will be based at Bryant University in the United States during the tournament. The Black Stars have been drawn alongside Panama, England and Croatia in what promises to be a competitive group.
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‎While anticipation is building for another appearance on football’s biggest stage, the president’s message was clear: national pride abroad must be matched by responsibility at home.