Ghana Name 2026 World Cup Squad Without Mohammed Kudus After Quad Injury Rules Him Out Of Tournament
Andre Ayew also misses out, with his omission ending all but any prospect of a record fourth World Cup appearance for the former captain, who is no longer considered central to Queiroz's plans.
Carlos Queiroz confirmed Ghana's final 26-man World Cup squad on Monday after a week-long training camp in Cardiff, Wales, trimming down from a 28-man provisional group assembled at Dragon Park. The announcement had been expected for days, but the injury news that surrounded it made for difficult reading. Mohammed Kudus, Mohammed Salisu and Alexander Djiku all miss out through injury, stripping Ghana of significant quality across the pitch ahead of what was already a challenging group.
Kudus is the headline loss. The Tottenham Hotspur winger suffered a quadriceps injury in January, underwent surgery shortly after, and never regained full fitness in time. He has not featured since January 4. He scored twice at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, finishing as Ghana's top scorer in a tournament they exited at the group stage, and was considered close to irreplaceable in Queiroz's plans.
His ability to create from nothing, his directness and his goals from midfield made him Ghana's most dangerous weapon. Without him, the group stage task becomes significantly harder.
The Other Injury Blows
Salisu's absence has been known for months. The Monaco centre-back ruptured his ACL during a Ligue 1 match in January, ending any realistic hope of a recovery in time. Djiku's omission was the most recent and arguably the most cruel. The Spartak Moscow defender arrived in the Cardiff camp carrying a knock from the Russian Cup final and, after thorough medical examinations over the weekend, was confirmed as unable to participate. Derrick Luckassen was called up in his place.
Andre Ayew also misses out, with his omission ending all but any prospect of a record fourth World Cup appearance for the former captain, who is no longer considered central to Queiroz's plans.
The Squad Ghana Has Named
Jordan Ayew captains the side. The 34-year-old Leicester City forward holds 133 caps, the most in Ghana's history. Thomas Partey anchors the midfield. Antoine Semenyo of Manchester City, Kamaldeen Sulemana of Atalanta and Iñaki Williams of Athletic Club provide attacking options to compensate for Kudus' absence.
Ghana open Group L against Panama in Toronto on June 17, then face England in Boston on June 23 and Croatia in Philadelphia on June 27.