Minister for Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams, says Ghana should begin exploring the possibility of co-hosting the FIFA World Cup with Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire in the near future. His call follows FIFA’s growing preference for multi-nation hosting arrangements for the world’s biggest football tournament.
FIFA has already approved joint hosting for upcoming editions, with the United States, Mexico and Canada set to host the 2026 World Cup, while Morocco, Spain and Portugal will co-host the 2030 tournament. According to Adams, this trend opens the door for West Africa to make a strong bid.
“They [FIFA] are beginning to adopt a number of nations doing it, so maybe who knows, the next one would be Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire coming together to also host the World Cup and it will be good,” he said.
The Minister believes the three countries are well-positioned, especially considering recent investments in sporting infrastructure. Côte d’Ivoire hosted the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), delivering world-class facilities praised globally, while Ghana successfully organised the delayed 2023 African Games in 2024.
“I believe that we, together with Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, who have already invested quite a lot because they hosted AFCON not too long ago, we can also ask for that right,” Adams added.
Ghana has long expressed interest in hosting major international sporting events, and a joint World Cup bid would mark the country’s most ambitious target yet. With FIFA’s new hosting model creating wider opportunities, a West African World Cup could become a realistic prospect if governments in the sub-region commit to collaboration and long-term planning.
