Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, has urged government not to use public funds to send Ghanaian supporters to the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“This is my very personal view, and I hope I’m not misquoted,” he told Citi Sports. “I have tried to do some rough calculations on what it would cost government to send a single supporter to the World Cup, even just for the group stages, and if you ask me, I do not think government should invest public funds to take supporters there.”
He explained that sending just one supporter could cost around $9,000, meaning that taking 2,000 fans would amount to approximately $18 million.
“If you take just one supporter, it will cost around $9,000. If government intends to send about 2,000 supporters, we are talking about roughly $18 million.
“If you spread 2,000 supporters across the 276 constituencies in Ghana, each constituency would get less than ten people. If you asked me to bring even ten people from Ketu North to the World Cup and spend about $90,000, I would rather say use that money to build an AstroTurf or a sports complex in my constituency,” he said.
Agbana emphasized that many Ghanaians are capable of travelling independently and that there are already Ghanaians living abroad who can cheer the national team.
“A lot of people are able to travel on their own, and we also have many Ghanaians living in those countries who will support the team,” he said.
“Beyond the World Cup, you will still have a turf or a sports complex where young people can train and develop their talents,” he noted.
The MP’s comments highlight a debate over prioritizing public resources for major international sporting events versus investing in long-term infrastructure that benefits local communities and youth development.
Ghana, four-time African champions, are set for their fifth FIFA World Cup appearance and have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia.
The Black Stars will open their campaign against Panama on June 17, before facing England on June 23 and Croatia on June 27.
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