Mahama urges World Cup-bound Ghanaians to respect visa terms, return home after tournament.
President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to Ghanaians intending to travel to North America for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to comply with visa regulations and return to Ghana when the tournament ends.
The President made the appeal during his State of the Nation Address delivered in Parliament on Friday, February 27, warning that overstaying visas could jeopardize the diplomatic gains Ghana has made, particularly the recently restored five-year non-immigrant visa privileges with the United States.
“It has taken a lot of work to restore Ghana’s five-year non-immigrant visas and take us off the ban list. It is my hope that this event [2026 World Cup] will not send thousands of Ghanaians to America and get us back on their ban list,” he said.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Ghana’s Black Stars will be making their fifth World Cup appearance, with Bryant University serving as their base camp. The team is drawn in a group alongside Panama, England, and Croatia.
President Mahama noted that Ghana’s participation in the tournament goes beyond football, describing it as a chance to enhance the country’s brand and economic appeal on the world stage. “This year we will strengthen Ghana’s standing in the major global and continental sporting events. Ghana will make our fifth FIFA World Cup appearance. And for us this is an opportunity to boost national branding and the economy beyond just sports,” he said.
He reminded prospective supporters that obtaining travel documents requires going through the proper channels. “Supporters and other people interested in going to support the team would have to submit visa requests to the American Embassy,” he added.
The President also disclosed that considerable diplomatic effort had gone into removing Ghana from restrictive watchlists and restoring its visa status with the US, stressing that supporters who make the trip must honour the terms of their visas. “We are being told that we must ensure that supporters who go return on the visas,” he said.