Sports
World Cup 2026: Ghana’s Performance Was Below Average —Gyan
Former Black Stars captain Asamoah Gyan has delivered a candid assessment of Ghana’s performance following the team’s 1-0 defeat to Colombia, describing the display as below the expected standard and insisting the South Americans fully deserved their victory.
Ghana’s hopes of advancing at the FIFA World Cup came to an end after Colombia capitalised on a first-half opportunity to secure the only goal of the match, sending the Black Stars out of the tournament.
Reacting to the outcome, Ghana’s all-time leading scorer said the Black Stars lacked the intensity and attacking determination required in a match of such importance.
“Today’s performance was below average, no sense of urgency,” Gyan was quoted by Ghana sport platform Joy Online.
Gyan expressed concern about Ghana’s inability to commit enough players forward, particularly after falling behind, noting that the Black Stars struggled to pose sustained attacking threats inside the Colombian penalty area.
“We (Ghana) did not have men in the box.”
Also Read:World Cup 2026: Semenyo Calls On Black Stars To Be More Aggressive With Referees After England Penalty Row
He contrasted Ghana’s approach with that of Colombia, saying the South Americans maintained their attacking intent even after taking the lead instead of merely defending their advantage.
“Colombia were ahead but kept fighting to score more.”
Summing up the contest, the former Sunderland and Al Ain striker conceded that Colombia were the better side on the day.
“To summarise everything, Colombia deserved the win.”
Gyan’s comments add to the growing post-match analysis following Ghana’s exit from the tournament, with several players and football analysts pointing to the team’s struggles in the attacking third despite signs of improvement in defensive organisation under newly appointed head coach Carlos Queiroz.
Jorge Messi, the father and longtime agent of Argentine football superstar Lionel Messi, has passed away at the age of 68.
According to news portal blue News, Messi’s father died on Friday evening (local time) at a medical center in his hometown of Rosario, Argentina, after battling pancreatic cancer.
Reports about his serious illness first emerged during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Lionel Messi broke down in tears after scoring a hat-trick against Algeria in Argentina’s opening World Cup match.
Addressing the media at the time, Messi shared that he was going through difficult and complicated personal days unrelated to sports.
Jorge Messi played a crucial role in shaping his son’s legendary career, acting as his primary advisor and agent.
He orchestrated Lionel Messi’s landmark transfers from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain and later to Inter Miami.
As of now, the Messi family has not issued an official public statement regarding the funeral arrangements.
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle might get a new option to pick from, as a player with dual nationality is set to switch allegiances to Nigeria, Soccernet.ng reports.
This comes as former Chelsea midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu has taken his first few steps to switch allegiances from France to Nigeria.
The 22-year-old midfielder was born in France to Nigerian parents, and he represented France at youth level.
However, he is 22 now and cannot play youth-level football anymore. He is due for the senior team, but he has yet to receive an official call-up to the senior Les Bleus team. But according to FIFA rules, a player can still switch allegiances to Nigeria. As a result, the Super Eagles door is still open.
It appears that the former Chelsea man is willing to try that route. In the summer, he was in Nigeria and was even spotted playing football with Super Eagles star Kelechi Iheanacho in Owerri.
Now, reports have emerged that he has started the process of acquiring his Nigerian passport which will make him a bonafide Nigerian.
Once Ugochukwu gets his Nigerian passport, the next thing for him will be to switch his nationality with world football governing body FIFA so he can start playing for the Super Eagles.
A player of Ugochukwu’s profile would be a good fit for Eric Chelle’s system and he can give Nigeria a few good years.
The 22-year-old is originally a defensive midfielder, but he is more of a box-to-box player. He is physically strong, has composure on the ball, and is a decent carrier. The Rennes academy product also has the work rate which is needed to thrive in Chelle’s system.
His switch to the Super Eagles would provide healthy competition and depth in Nigeria’s midfield, and he can also chip in with the odd goal.
Ugochukwu just completed a loan move from Burnley to Galatasaray, and he will be looking to produce top performances for his new employers.
The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has intensified following Spain’s FIFA World Cup triumph, with England captain Harry Kane emerging as the bookmakers’ favourite to win football’s most prestigious individual award.
According to odds published by the Independent UK, citing Betfair, on Tuesday, Kane leads the contenders ahead of Spain’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Argentina captain Lionel Messi.
Kane strengthened his credentials after finishing the World Cup with six goals and becoming England’s all-time leading scorer at the tournament.
The performance added to his already staggering 2025–2026 campaign, where he scored 72 goals and provided 7 assists in 61 appearances for Bayern Munich and England. Kane won three trophies with Bayern Munich, finished third at the FIFA World Cup 2026 and claimed the European Golden Shoe.
Spain’s World Cup-winning duo of Yamal and Rodri, who won the 2024 Ballon d’Or, also rank among the leading contenders after helping their country lift the trophy. Messi remains firmly in the race after leading the Albiceleste to a second consecutive World Cup final, despite missing out on FIFA’s Golden Ball award to Rodri.
Messi won his eighth Ballon d’Or in 2023, partly thanks to Argentina winning 2022 FIFA World Cup
At 39, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner recorded 8 goals and 4 assists before also missing out on the Golden Boot to France star Kylian Mbappe by two goals.
Mbappé once again proved his elite status. In a prolific 2025–2026 campaign for Real Madrid, he became La Liga and Champions League top scorer.
He is also the 2026 World Cup top scorer and became the all-time leading scorer with 22 goals.
Manchester City and Norway striker, Erling Haaland, also enjoyed another prolific season, scoring 27 Premier League goals and eight in the UEFA Champions League.
He carried that form into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, scoring seven goals in five games to inspire Norway to a historic first-ever quarter-final appearance.
Erling Haaland #9 of Norway celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match between Iraq and Norway at Boston Stadium on June 16, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
France’s Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise and England midfielder Jude Bellingham are also among the favourites.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26.
Top 16 Ballon d’Or favourites (Betfair odds):
Harry Kane – 13/8
Lamine Yamal – 9/4
Lionel Messi – 11/4
Kylian Mbappe – 7/2
Rodri – 9/2
Ousmane Dembele – 14/1
Jude Bellingham – 14/1
Michael Olise – 20/1
Erling Haaland – 22/1
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 28/1
Declan Rice – 28/1
Vitinha – 28/1
Fabian Ruiz – 33/1
Vinicius Jr. – 40/1
Bruno Fernandes – 50/1
Desire Doue – 50/1
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