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Build your Black Stars XI for the FIFA World Cup 2026: the full guide.

~16 min read
Updated 13/07/2026
World Cup 2026 · 0 days to go
“Football in Ghana is religion.”
11

From the goalkeeper to the striker, draft your XI and 15-man bench.

TeamBranch reproduces the official structure of a football side: 1 goalkeeper, 10 outfield players, a tactical formation (4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2…), a captain, an armband. Eleven positions, eleven calls, from the keeper to the strikers.

Draft from the Black Stars of 2026 (Mohammed Kudus the star, Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, Antoine Semenyo, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Inaki Williams who switched from Spain, Alexander Djiku, Mohammed Salisu, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Tariq Lamptey, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh), the 1992 AFCON finalists generation (Abedi Pele the legend, Tony Yeboah, Sammy Kuffour, Stephen Appiah), the 2010 quarter-finalists (Asamoah Gyan, Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng), the Ghana Premier League stars from Asante Kotoko to Hearts of Oak, or pull from Brazil, Argentina, England, France, Spain. You can also build a 100% chale team for the neighborhood tournament.

28,000 players 11 positions 9 formations Share with one link
Signature mode · World Cup 2026 simulation

Your XI plays 8 matches to lift the trophy.

Most tools stop at the team sheet. TeamBranch takes you all the way through the tournament. You pick your side, we drop them into the official 48-team draw, and we simulate every fixture: 3 group games, then round of 32, round of 16, quarter-finals, semis, final. That's 8 matches end-to-end, with scores, goalscorers, cards and stats.

A single simulation engine, calibrated against the actual strength of the players you line up. For non-footballer cards (a chale, an MP, your boss), the engine infers strength from the person's profession: a soldier defends better than a hiplife musician, a lawyer keeps cool in a shootout, a baker holds his stamina deep into extra time. Re-run as many times as you want, share the tournament sheet.

▶ Run a simulation
Final bracket · sample simulation
Quarters
🇬🇭 Black Stars2
🇺🇾 Uruguay1
🇧🇷 Brazil3
🇩🇪 Germany1
Semis
🇬🇭 Black Stars1
🇧🇷 Brazil0
Final
🇬🇭 Black Stars2
🇦🇷 Argentina1
🏆 World Champions · Gyan's redemption
8matches played
7Kudus goals
0losses
1stAfrica's first
World Cup 2026

My Black Stars for USA, Canada, Mexico

Anticipate the XI of June 2026 against an opponent yet to be confirmed after the final draw. Build Otto Addo's squad (or your own) for Africa's first-ever World Cup glory. Kudus the talisman, Partey the anchor, Williams the Bilbao threat. 16 years after the Gyan miss vs Uruguay, the redemption arc is back on.

AddoKudusParteyI. Williams
AFCON 2027 & beyond

The XI for the next AFCON cycle

Re-build the side that'll chase a 5th AFCON star. Senegal, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Cameroon, South Africa: the African Cup of Nations is the toughest tournament outside the World Cup. Black Stars have 4 stars (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982) — the wait for the 5th is now 44 years long.

AFCONNigeriaMoroccoSenegal
Ghana Premier League

The XI of the local game

Mix the legends of Asante Kotoko (the Porcupine Warriors from Kumasi, 24-time GPL champions, 2-time CAF Champions League winners 1970 & 1983), the historic rivals Hearts of Oak Accra (Phobia, 21 GPL titles, CAF CL 2000), the talents of Aduana Stars, Medeama, Bechem United, Dreams FC, Karela United, Berekum Chelsea. The best Ghanaian XI from the local game.

KotokoHeartsAduanaMedeama
Fun side · chale & family

The Saturday-evening XI

Big brother in goal, chale at right-back, your old man holding midfield, your sister out wide. Upload your own photo cards for the neighborhood tournament, the office five-a-side, the bachelor party XI, or just for the family WhatsApp argument after church-league soccer on Sundays.

CustomPhotoFive-a-sideChale
The XI Gazette · special World Cup edition
No. 256 · 1957 to 2026

From Nkrumah's Black Star to Kudus, sixty-nine years of Ghanaian football.

From the Black Stars founding under Kwame Nkrumah (Ghana the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence, 6 March 1957, the team named after Marcus Garvey's UNIA Black Star Line), to four AFCON titles in twenty years (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982), the heartbreak of the 1992 AFCON final, the 2010 World Cup quarter-final (the Asamoah Gyan miss, Luis Suárez's handball, the penalty shootout loss that still haunts) and the modern Kudus generation: the Black Stars carry the pan-African dream. On TeamBranch, you can rebuild every generation, or rewrite that Uruguay penalty.

1963 to 1982 · The golden age

4 AFCON titles in 20 years

AFCON 1963 (host, won), 1965 (Tunisia, won), 1978 (host, won), 1982 (Libya, won). The Black Stars dominated African football for two decades. Charles Kumi Gyamfi coached three of the four titles. Stars: Osei Kofi, Wilberforce Mfum, Aggrey Fynn, Karim Abdul Razak, Mohammed Polo. The 1978 final at the Accra Sports Stadium under Fred Osam-Duodu defined a generation.

The Nkrumah dream — Ghana as Africa's football vanguard, the Black Star Line reborn on the pitch — was real. The first FIFA Confederations Cup-era nation to fly the African flag, even before Cameroon's 1990 World Cup heroics. Pelé called Ghana an "African football powerhouse" in his 1970s tours.

2010 · Soccer City · The 116-minute heartbreak

Asamoah Gyan and the penalty that haunts

Ghana 1-1 Uruguay (2 July 2010, Soccer City, World Cup quarter-final). 90 minutes: Sulley Muntari scores from outside the box just before half-time. Diego Forlán equalises with a free-kick. Extra time. 120th minute, Ghana corner: Stephen Appiah crosses, Adiyiah heads goalward, Luis Suárez handballs on the goal line, red card. Asamoah Gyan steps up for the penalty that would have made Ghana the first African semi-finalist in WC history. The ball hits the crossbar.

Penalty shootout: Gyan retakes (and scores!), but Mensah and Adiyiah miss. Uruguay through 4-2 on penalties. The entire continent's heart breaks at Soccer City. Asamoah Gyan never escapes that moment — but he later said: "I will never get over that penalty, but I will never stop playing for Ghana." The closest any African nation had ever come at the time. Morocco eventually reached the semis 12 years later in Qatar.

2014 → 2026 · Scandal and the Kudus reset

From Brazil chaos to a generational rebuild

Brazil 2014: the scandal that broke a generation. Bonus dispute mid-tournament, $3 million in cash flown to Brasília on a chartered plane to placate the squad, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Sulley Muntari sent home for indiscipline. Group stage exit. Football in Ghana spent years recovering institutionally. Qatar 2022 brought no joy either — group exit after losing the Suárez rematch with Uruguay 2-0 (the karma play denied).

2026 is the rebuild's moment. Otto Addo (German-Ghanaian, Borussia Dortmund coach part-time) leads. Mohammed Kudus at West Ham then Tottenham is the talisman, the new Abedi Pele. Thomas Partey, Antoine Semenyo, Kamaldeen Sulemana the engine. Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao) made his Ghana switch in 2022 — the African dream pulling diaspora stars home. The opening match is just weeks away.

Architecture of the XI

How is a Black Stars side actually built?

A football team lines up with 11 players on the pitch (a goalkeeper, ten outfielders) and 15 subs on the World Cup 2026 team sheet. Each position carries a precise role: it's exactly this grammar that TeamBranch reproduces for your XI.

The back line (a back five in 3-5-2, a back four in 4-3-3) is the structure: tough centre-backs, fullbacks who get forward. Midfield is the engine: recover, transition, create. The attack is the finish: pace, dribble, the killer touch. And the goalkeeper, the eleventh man, has been the most underrated position in Ghana — until Richard Kingson's 2010 heroics changed perceptions.

The goalkeeper · No. 1
Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St Gallen), Frederick Asare, Jojo Wollacott. Reflexes, distribution, command. Yesterday: Richard Kingson (the 2010 quarter-final goalkeeper, Wigan), Robert Mensah (legend of the 1960s, Asante Kotoko), Sammy Adjei, Joseph Carr.
Centre-backs · 4 and 5
The cornerstones. Aerial duels, anticipation, build-up. Mohammed Salisu (Monaco/Southampton), Alexander Djiku (Fenerbahçe), Daniel Amartey, Inaki Williams can drop back. Yesterday: Sammy Kuffour (Bayern Munich legend, 1996-2005), John Mensah, Asamoah Gyan playing centre-back of attack in his prime.
Fullbacks · 2 and 3
The modern wing-backs. Cover the whole flank, defend then bomb forward. Tariq Lamptey (Brighton) at right-back, Gideon Mensah at left-back. Yesterday: John Pantsil, Eric Addo, Habib Mohamed.
Defensive midfielder · 6
The anchor. Recovery, first pass, reading the game. Thomas Partey (Villarreal/Arsenal), Mohammed Kudus can drop deep. Yesterday: Michael Essien (Chelsea legend, the 2006-2010 destroyer), Stephen Appiah, Sulley Muntari (the 2010 long-range man). The soul of the side.
Box-to-box midfielders · 8 and 10
The engines. Volume of running and technical quality. Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (Werder Bremen), Salis Abdul Samed (Lens), Edmund Addo. Yesterday: Abedi Pele (the unmatched #10, 3x African POY), Stephen Appiah (the leader of the 2006 generation), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus).
The attack · 7, 9 and 11
Left winger, striker, right winger. Pace, dribble, finishing. Mohammed Kudus (West Ham/Tottenham) the modern attacking talisman, Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao) the powerful striker, Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta), Jordan Ayew (Leicester). Yesterday: Asamoah Gyan (Ghana's all-time top scorer, 51 goals, 2010 quarterfinal hero/villain), Tony Yeboah (Eintracht Frankfurt, Leeds, the bicycle-kick wizard), Abedi Pele.
Football lexicon

The words you need to talk football like Baba Yara Stadium on Kotoko-Hearts derby day.

Goal
The whole point of the exercise: getting the ball into the opposition net (7.32 m × 2.44 m). Worth 1 point, no bonus. The absolute unit of football. Often celebrated with azonto or the Black Stars dance, chale.
Penalty box
The 18-yard area in front of goal. Inside it, the keeper can use his hands. A defensive foul here = penalty kick. Suárez stood ON the line in 2010 — that's why his hand was in play.
Penalty kick and free kick
The penalty (12 yards out, 1-v-1 with the keeper, around 75% conversion). The free kick direct or indirect from a foul outside it. Ghana specialists: Sulley Muntari (the 2010 thunderbolt vs Uruguay), Asamoah Gyan, Tony Yeboah's famous bicycle-kick volleys at Leeds. Asamoah Gyan's missed penalty vs Uruguay is the most-discussed in African football history.
Offside
The attacker needs at least two defenders between him and the goal line at the moment the ball is played forward. VAR has changed how it's policed. The most argued-about rule in football.
VAR and video review
Video Assistant Referee. Made official at the 2018 World Cup. Reviews goals, penalties, red cards, mistaken identity. If VAR had existed in 2010, would Suárez's red card have been enough vindication? Some would say yes, the penalty miss says no. Will be in heavy use across all 104 matches.
Formations · 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 / 3-5-2
The tactical systems. 4-3-3 = modern standard (Black Stars under Otto Addo, Kudus floating left). 4-2-3-1 = double pivot Partey-Samed plus Kudus #10. 3-5-2 = three centre-backs plus wing-backs (Italy 2006). 5-3-2 = bus-parking mode.
Penalty shootout
The final test after extra time. Five takers each alternating, sudden death after that. Ghana's most painful word: the 2010 quarter-final shootout vs Uruguay (lost 4-2 after Gyan's missed extra-time penalty). The next time Ghana goes there at a World Cup, the redemption arc is on.
Bicycle kick and rabona
The signature pieces of skill. Bicycle kick = overhead in mid-air (Tony Yeboah had famous ones for Leeds in the Premier League). Rabona = behind-the-standing-leg cross or strike. Cruyff turn, step-over, nutmeg (panna). Kudus has the silkiest dribble in the current squad — pure West African flair.
Catenaccio and tiki-taka
The great tactical schools. Catenaccio = ultra-defensive Italian football. Tiki-taka = Spanish possession monster of 2008-2012. Gegenpressing from Germany. Joga bonito from Brazil. Ghanaian football: powerful direct play with West African flair — Kotoko's high tempo, Hearts of Oak's organization.
Five eras · Five iconic Black Stars sides

Replay the Black Stars sides that built African football's standard.

Every generation has its faces, its system, its legends. On TeamBranch, you can rebuild each side player-for-player, or swap a single name to see what happens. What if Abedi Pele had played 2010? What if Yeboah had been at his 1995 peak in 2006? Answer in 60 seconds, chale.

1963 to 1982
The golden era · 4 AFCON titles
AFCON 1963 (host), 1965, 1978 (host), 1982 winners. Charles Kumi Gyamfi coaching dynasty. Osei Kofi, Wilberforce Mfum, Mohammed Polo, Karim Abdul Razak. Pelé called Ghana an "African football powerhouse". The Nkrumah Black Star dream realized on the pitch.
Osei KofiMfumPoloRazak
1991 to 2009
Abedi Pele & the youth glory
Abedi Pele wins 3x African Footballer of the Year (1991, 1992, 1993). AFCON 1992 final lost to Ivory Coast on penalties. U-17 World Cup 1991 (Italy) and 1995 (Ecuador) won, U-20 WC 2009 (Egypt) won — the only African team to lift U-20 WC. Tony Yeboah dazzles at Leeds. Stephen Appiah, Sammy Kuffour emerge.
Abedi PeleYeboahKuffourAppiah
2006 to 2010
First World Cups · The quarter-final
Germany 2006: first ever World Cup, R16 (lost to Brazil). South Africa 2010: QUARTER-FINAL, lost to Uruguay on penalties (Gyan miss, Suárez handball). Closest any African nation had come at the time. Milovan Rajevac coaching, Stephen Appiah captain, Asamoah Gyan top scorer, Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng, Michael Essien. The 2010 squad became national heroes despite the heartbreak.
GyanEssienMuntariK. BoatengKingson
2014 to 2022
Scandals and rebuilding
Brazil 2014: bonus scandal, $3M in cash flown in, Boateng-Muntari sent home, group exit. Coaching merry-go-round (Appiah, Rajevac return, Akonnor, Milovan back, Rajevac). AFCON 2015 final lost to Ivory Coast (penalties again), 2017 4th, 2019 R16, 2021 group exit. Qatar 2022 vs Uruguay 2-0 loss — karma denied.
A. AyewJ. AyewAtsuWakasoAsamoah
2023 to 2026
The Kudus generation
Otto Addo (German-Ghanaian, Dortmund coach part-time) leads the rebuild. Mohammed Kudus at West Ham then Tottenham becomes the talisman — the new Abedi Pele. Inaki Williams switches from Spain to Ghana in 2022. 2026 World Cup qualified from CAF. Partey, Semenyo, Sulemana the engine. The 5th AFCON star and World Cup redemption are the targets.
KudusParteyI. WilliamsSemenyoSulemana
“
I will never get over that penalty against Uruguay. But I will never stop playing for Ghana. The Black Star is bigger than any one moment, any one miss. We owe Africa redemption.
Asamoah Gyan, all-time leading Ghana scorer (51 goals), the man whose penalty hit the crossbar in the 120th minute at Soccer City vs Uruguay, 2010 World Cup quarter-final. Carried the Black Stars for a decade afterwards.

Every football XI you can build.

9 themes · no sign-up
★
Black Stars for World Cup 2026

My Black Stars for USA, Canada, Mexico

Build the XI that'll wear the red-yellow-green at the 2026 World Cup. Mix the cornerstones (Thomas Partey, Jordan Ayew, Lawrence Ati-Zigi, Mohammed Salisu) with the new wave (Mohammed Kudus, Antoine Semenyo, Kamaldeen Sulemana, Inaki Williams, Tariq Lamptey, Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, Alexander Djiku). Your XI, your bench, your captain. Otto Addo calls the official one, but you call yours, chale.

GK Ati-ZigiCB SalisuCM ParteyAM KudusST I. Williams
Black Stars · 202652 internationals
⭐
The 2010 quarter-finalists

The XI of Milovan Rajevac

Richard Kingson in goal, Hans Sarpei, John Pantsil, John Mensah, Jonathan Mensah at the back, Anthony Annan, Kwadwo Asamoah, Sulley Muntari, Kevin-Prince Boateng in midfield, Asamoah Gyan, Andre Ayew up top (with Adiyiah and Appiah from the bench). The XI of 2 July 2010 at Soccer City — the closest African team to a World Cup semi-final at that point. The Gyan miss is etched in memory.

G GyanM MuntariB K. BoatengK Kingson
02/07/2010 · Soccer City23 heroes
🏆
The AFCON 1982 champions

The XI of Charles Kumi Gyamfi

The 4th AFCON title. Joseph Carr in goal, Steven Sam, Sam Opoku Nti, Lameen Yamusah, Salifu Ansah at the back, Mohammed Polo, Kwasi Owusu, Opoku Afriyie in midfield, Yaw Sam, Kwabena Sarfo, Karim Abdul Razak up top. The squad that won AFCON 1982 in Libya, defeating the hosts in the final 1-0 in extra time. Last Black Stars title to date.

P PoloR RazakA AfriyieC Carr
19/03/1982 · Tripoli22 heroes
🌍
World Cup legends

The all-time World Cup XI

Beyond the Black Stars: Pelé, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazário, Franz Beckenbauer, Johan Cruyff, Zinédine Zidane, Garrincha, Lev Yashin, Paolo Maldini. The absolute XI of World Cup history: 96 years of glory.

P PeléM MaradonaM MessiZ Zidane
1930 → 2022800 legends
🔵
Black Queens · women's team

The Black Queens, your way

Build the Black Queens of Kim Lars Björkegren. Cynthia Konlan or Patricia Mantey in goal, Portia Boakye (captain), Justice Tweneboaa, Joycelyn Quaye at the back, Jennifer Cudjoe, Doris Boaduwaa, Princella Adubea, Tracey Twum, Evelyn Badu. AFCON Women's runners-up THREE times (1998, 2002, 2006), bronze 2016. Determined to break through to a maiden World Cup.

B BoaduwaaA AdubeaB BoakyeC Cudjoe
Black Queens · 2026180 players
🦁
CAF · African legends

The all-Africa XI

The continent's finest: George Weah (Liberia, only African Ballon d'Or 1995), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon, 4-time African POY), Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast), Yaya Touré, Mohamed Salah (Egypt), Sadio Mané (Senegal), Roger Milla (Cameroon 1990), Abedi Pele (Black Stars, 3x African POY), Achraf Hakimi (Morocco). The Atlas Lions of Morocco wrote new African history with the 2022 semi-final — the milestone Ghana came so close to in 2010.

A Abedi PeleD DrogbaE Eto'oS Salah
CAF · 54 nations1,800 players
🏟
Ghana Premier League

The XI of the local game

Mix the legends of Asante Kotoko Kumasi (the Porcupine Warriors, 24 GPL titles, 2 CAF Champions League), the historic Hearts of Oak Accra (Phobia, 21 GPL titles, CAF CL 2000), the talents of Aduana Stars, Medeama SC, Bechem United, Dreams FC, Berekum Chelsea, Nations FC. The Kotoko vs Hearts derby (Super Clash) is the most-watched African club match. The best GPL XI on one team sheet.

KOT KotokoHOK HeartsADU AduanaMED Medeama
GPL · 18 clubs720 cards
🎬
Ghanaian icons

The unlikely XI

Idris Elba in goal (great reactions — half-Ghanaian, claim him), Sarkodie in the number 10 spot, Stonebwoy on the wing, Shatta Wale as captain (controversy guaranteed), Black Sherif with a free role, Yvonne Nelson, Jackie Appiah, King Promise at right-back. The only XI where Kofi Annan can chair the post-match dressing room talk.

I ElbaS SarkodieS StonebwoyB Sherif
Film · Music · Culture1,400 cards
👨‍👩
Your circle

The XI of your club, your chale, your family

Upload your own photo cards. Stick your big brother at number 10, your chale at left-back, your sister out wide, your old man as captain. The local club XI, the district team, the church-league five-a-side, the after-jollof social side. Custom and unlimited, chale.

+ Photo+ Photo+ Photo+ Photo
Custom · freeunlimited
World Cup 2026 · 0 days to go

The 2026 World Cup kicks off 11 June at the Estadio Azteca.

The 2026 World Cup runs across the USA, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026, the first edition with 48 nations and 104 matches. 16 host cities, 12 groups of 4, final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The Black Stars carry Africa's hope — 16 years after the Soccer City heartbreak, 14 years after Asamoah Gyan's missed penalty, the Kudus generation chases redemption. Morocco set the African semi-final bar in 2022; the Black Stars want to match it, or surpass it.

On TeamBranch, build your Black Stars XI for the 2026 World Cup today against the scenarios: Otto Addo's current setup, a Europe-based core, the AFCON 1982 champions, an XI honouring the 2010 quarter-finalists, or a total reset. Six pre-loaded templates, editable in two clicks.

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Pre-loaded templates · World Cup 2026
01
Otto Addo's current XI
The current squad: Ati-Zigi, Lamptey, Salisu, Djiku, Mensah, Partey, Samed, Kudus, Sulemana, I. Williams, Semenyo. The XI from the last AFCON qualifier.
→
02
The young Black Stars XI
Featuring the U23s and emerging stars: Salisu, Lamptey, Sulemana, Semenyo, Issahaku, Forson, Kyereh. The next generation.
→
03
Black Stars of all time XI
The legendary XI: Kingson, Pantsil, Kuffour, Salisu, Sarpei, Essien, Appiah, Abedi Pele, Yeboah, Gyan, Kudus. Four eras blended.
→
04
The 2010 quarter-finalists
Milovan Rajevac's exact starting XI vs Uruguay: Kingson, Sarpei, Pantsil, J. Mensah, Vorsah, Annan, K. Asamoah, K-P Boateng, Muntari, Ayew, Gyan.
→
05
Abedi Pele 1992 AFCON XI
The AFCON 1992 finalists who lost to Ivory Coast on penalties: Lamptey GK, Yeboah, Abedi Pele, Anthony Yeboah, Anthony Baffoe, Sammy Kuffour emerging.
→
06
World XI · the benchmark
Not Ghanaian at all: your ideal XI on planet football. Courtois, Hakimi, Van Dijk, Rüdiger, T. Hernandez, Bellingham, Pedri, Rodri, Vinicius, Haaland, Salah.
→
World Cup tour

The 12 nations who shaped the World Cup, and their iconic XIs.

The World Cup has produced just 8 winners in 96 years. Global top: Brazil 5 stars, Germany and Italy 4, Argentina 3, France and Uruguay 2, England and Spain 1. Plus a handful of regular finalists or semi-finalists. On TeamBranch, you can build the XI of every nation: current, historical, or your ideal mix.

🇧🇷
Brazil
Auriverde · Seleção
5 stars (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002). The most-titled nation in history. Pelé, Garrincha, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Neymar.
PeléRonaldoNeymar
🇦🇷
Argentina
Albiceleste
3 stars (1978, 1986, 2022). Reigning world champions. Messi finally reached the summit in Qatar.
MaradonaMessiMascherano
🇩🇪
Germany
Die Mannschaft
4 stars (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014). Plus 4 lost finals. The European benchmark. Beckenbauer, Müller, Klose.
BeckenbauerKloseMüller
🇮🇹
Italy
Squadra Azzurra
4 stars (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006). Absent from the last two World Cups (2018, 2022). Catenaccio, Buffon, Pirlo, Cannavaro.
BuffonPirloBaggio
🇫🇷
France
Les Bleus · Coq
2 stars (1998, 2018). 4 finals. The Mbappé generation chase a third star in 2026.
ZidaneHenryMbappé
🇺🇾
Uruguay
La Celeste
2 stars (1930, 1950). The 2010 quarter-final villains — Suárez handball, Gyan miss, penalties win. 4th place 2010. The eternal Celeste, and the eternal Ghanaian wound.
CavaniSuárezForlán
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
England
Three Lions
1 star (1966, at home). Euro 2024 runners-up. Bellingham, Kane, Saka: the generation chasing a long-awaited second title.
BellinghamKaneSaka
🇪🇸
Spain
La Roja
1 star (2010). Euro 2024 champions. Tiki-taka tradition and the Pedri-Yamal class are peaking. Inaki Williams switched from Spain to Ghana in 2022.
YamalPedriRodri
🇬🇭
Ghana
Black Stars
4 AFCON stars (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982). 5 World Cups (2006, 2010 QF, 2014, 2022, 2026). 2010 quarter-final still echoes. The Kudus-Partey generation chases redemption.
Abedi PeleGyanKudus
🇳🇱
Netherlands
Oranje
3 lost finals (1974, 1978, 2010). Eternal runners-up. Cruyff, Bergkamp, Van Basten, Van Dijk.
Van DijkDepayGakpo
🇲🇦
Morocco
Atlas Lions
2022 World Cup semi-finalists, first African nation. Hakimi, Ziyech, Bono. The milestone Ghana came so close to in 2010.
HakimiZiyechBono
🇳🇬
Nigeria
Super Eagles
3 AFCON titles (1980, 1994, 2013). The eternal Black Stars rival — and the jollof war is even fiercer than the football. Osimhen, Lookman, Iwobi.
OsimhenLookmanIwobi
The 16 host cities · USA · Canada · Mexico

The 16 stadiums hosting the 2026 World Cup.

For the first time in history, the World Cup is hosted across three countries and 16 cities: 11 in the USA, 3 in Mexico, 2 in Canada. 104 matches in total, final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on 19 July 2026, opening match at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on 11 June. The Ghanaian diaspora is huge in New York, Toronto, DC, Houston — the Black Stars will have loud support. On TeamBranch you can build the XI for the opening match, the XI for a specific stadium, or the XI for the final.

MEX
Estadio Azteca
Mexico City
Opening
NJ
MetLife Stadium
New York / NJ
Final
DAL
AT&T Stadium
Dallas
Semi-final
LA
SoFi Stadium
Los Angeles
8 matches
ATL
Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Atlanta
Semi-final
MIA
Hard Rock Stadium
Miami
3rd place
SF
Levi's Stadium
San Francisco
6 matches
PHI
Lincoln Financial
Philadelphia
6 matches
BOS
Gillette Stadium
Boston
7 matches
SEA
Lumen Field
Seattle
6 matches
KC
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City
6 matches
HOU
NRG Stadium
Houston
7 matches
TOR
BMO Field
Toronto
6 matches
VAN
BC Place
Vancouver
7 matches
GDL
Estadio Akron
Guadalajara
4 matches
MTY
Estadio BBVA
Monterrey
4 matches
Share

Your XI, in a single URL.

Every team built on TeamBranch generates a unique link and an Open Graph card with photos, numbers and a Black Stars red-yellow-green banner. Share on WhatsApp, X, Insta, challenge your chale, kick off the family debate or the office sweep argument.

Frequently asked

The classics on the perfect XI.

Pick of the questions most asked on Google and in our user messages.

How do I build my dream Black Stars XI online, chale?
Pick a tactical formation (4-3-3, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, 5-3-2…), then fill the 11 starting positions and the 15 subs from a pool of 28,000 players and personalities: current Black Stars, AFCON winners of 1963/65/78/82, the 2010 quarter-final heroes, Abedi Pele-Tony Yeboah-era legends, Ghana Premier League stars from Kotoko to Hearts of Oak, or upload your own photo cards. You get a unique shareable link. No sign-up, completely free.
When does the FIFA World Cup 2026 kick off, abi?
Thursday 11 June 2026 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City for the opening match. The tournament runs through to Sunday 19 July 2026, final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. 104 matches across 39 days, the first 48-team edition: 12 groups of 4, top 2 plus the 8 best third-placed sides qualify for the round of 32.
Which 16 cities will host the 2026 World Cup?
11 in the USA: Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York / New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle. 3 in Mexico: Mexico City (Estadio Azteca, opening match), Guadalajara, Monterrey. 2 in Canada: Toronto and Vancouver. The final is at MetLife Stadium (82,500 seats), the opening match at the Azteca (87,500 seats). North America in June and July — long flights from Accra and Kumasi, but the diaspora in New York, Toronto and DC will be loud for the Black Stars.
How is a football team actually structured?
The XI is 1 goalkeeper plus 10 outfield players in your chosen formation. In a modern 4-3-3: 4 defenders (2 fullbacks, 2 centre-backs), 3 midfielders (one anchor, two box-to-box), 3 forwards (two wingers, one striker). 15 subs on the team sheet at the 2026 World Cup (5 changes per match plus extra time). TeamBranch reproduces this grammar one-for-one — same shape, same numbers, same rules Otto Addo and Mohammed Kudus use every match.
Can I build a Black Stars XI for the World Cup 2026?
Yes, that's the #1 use right now across Ghana. We've got 6 pre-loaded templates depending on your scenario: Otto Addo's current squad with Kudus the talisman, a young Black Stars XI built around Sulemana and Semenyo, the legendary 1992 AFCON finalists side (Abedi Pele's golden generation), the 2010 quarter-finalists (Gyan, Boateng, Muntari), the AFCON 1982 champions, a Black Stars of all time. All editable, shareable, updated after every Otto Addo squad announcement.
Can I make a team with my mates or my family, chale?
Of course. 1.8 million custom XIs have already been created. Upload photos of your chale, your big brother, your sister, your district coach, your church soccer team, your azonto crew, and place them anywhere you want on the pitch. Perfect for the inter-neighborhood tournament, the office five-a-side, your bachelor party XI, or just to start the WhatsApp debate after the jollof argument with the Nigerian cousins.
What about the Black Queens, the women's national team?
Black Queens are fully integrated. Build the Queens of Kim Lars Björkegren with Cynthia Konlan in goal, Portia Boakye (captain), Jennifer Cudjoe, Justice Tweneboaa, Doris Boaduwaa, Princella Adubea, Tracey Twum. AFCON Women's runners-up THREE times (1998, 2002, 2006), bronze 2016. Strong base in WAFU, on the path to the 2027 Women's WC in Brazil.
Which club leagues are covered?
The full Ghana Premier League (Asante Kotoko Kumasi — the Porcupine Warriors, the most decorated club, 2-time CAF Champions League winners; Hearts of Oak Accra — Phobia, the historic rival, 1-time CAF Champions League; Aduana Stars from Dormaa; Medeama from Tarkwa; Bechem United; Dreams FC; Karela United; Berekum Chelsea; Nations FC; Bibiani Gold Stars), plus Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Saudi Pro League, MLS, and the Egyptian Premier League. Women's: Ghana Women's Premier League. Over 720 club cards in total.
Which tactical formations does TeamBranch offer?
Nine: 4-3-3 (modern standard, what Otto Addo prefers, Kudus floating left), 4-2-3-1 (double pivot Partey-Mokoena plus Kudus #10), 4-4-2 (classic), 3-5-2 (three centre-backs plus wing-backs), 3-4-3 (attacking, Conte-style), 5-3-2 (parking-the-bus), 4-1-4-1 (compact), 4-3-2-1 (Christmas tree), 3-4-2-1. You can switch anytime, your XI reshuffles automatically on the interactive pitch.
How many World Cups have the Black Stars been to?
Five, counting 2026: Germany 2006 (R16, lost to Brazil 3-0), South Africa 2010 (QUARTER-FINAL — the closest any African nation had come at the time, lost to Uruguay on penalties after Asamoah Gyan missed in extra time, Luis Suárez handball on the line, the eternal heartbreak), Brazil 2014 (group stage scandal — bonuses paid in cash on the runway, Boateng-Muntari sent home), Qatar 2022 (group stage), and now USA-Canada-Mexico 2026. PLUS four AFCON titles (1963, 1965, 1978, 1982) and four FIFA youth WC titles (U-17 1991, 1995; U-20 2009 — the only African team to win U-20 WC).
Is it really free, chale?
Yes, no exceptions. Building, sharing, exporting, adding custom photo cards, tactical simulation — all free. No sign-up needed, no intrusive ads, no paywall. Build as many Black Stars XIs as you like, as many times as you like, for as many backyard tournaments as you like.
Does TeamBranch exist for other footballing nations?
Yes, 187 local editions including Brazil (Auriverde), Argentina (Albiceleste), England (Three Lions), Germany, Spain (La Roja), Italy (Squadra Azzurra), Portugal, the Netherlands (Oranje), Belgium, Morocco (Atlas Lions), Uruguay, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, plus our African brothers and sisters Nigeria (the eternal jollof rivals!), Senegal, Egypt, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Cameroon. Each edition has its own local player base, its own legends, and its own house terminology.