Opinions, analysis and commentary
Ghana arrives at the 2026 World Cup capable of causing upsets, but without the one player who made those upsets possible. Mohammed Kudus, Tottenham’s attacking midfielder and Ghana’s creative heartbeat, was ruled out after a quadriceps injury and a subsequent rehabilitation setback that could require surgery. The hole he leaves isn’t just statistical. It’s structural. Carlos Queiroz, who only took charge in April after Otto Addo was sacked, must now rebuild an attack that was designed around a player he won’t have available in Toronto, Boston, or Philadelphia.
Before injury struck, Kudus had registered 3 goals and 5 assists across 24 appearances for Tottenham, ending the campaign as their most dangerous creative force. His dribbling numbers tell the fuller story: 3.89 dribbles per 90, more than any other player in a Spurs shirt. He doesn’t just beat defenders. He forces defensive shape to collapse, creating space for runners arriving around him.
No other player in Ghana’s squad combines his close control, dribbling volume, and goal threat from the edge of the box. A key passes per 90 rate of 2.9 puts him in a different category from every available replacement. Semenyo’s best is 1.4. Williams manages 1.1. Queiroz can change the system, the personnel, the pressing triggers, but he can’t replace what Kudus does with the ball in tight spaces against a retreating defensive block.
Kudus suffered a quadriceps injury that interrupted his Tottenham season and was expected to return before the tournament. During rehabilitation, he suffered a setback that could require surgery, and the Ghana FA confirmed he would focus entirely on recovery ahead of the 2026/27 season. The timing sharpens the loss; it was Kudus who scored the goal that secured Ghana’s World Cup qualification against Comoros, helping the Black Stars finish as group winners. The player who got them there won’t be there when it matters.
Queiroz inherited this situation in April, having replaced Otto Addo with minimal preparation time. He has no like-for-like replacement available and limited time to restructure an attack around players who occupy fundamentally different positions and roles.
Queiroz’s most credible response is a front partnership built on Antoine Semenyo and Iñaki Williams, both experienced, both in form, neither a Kudus replacement. Semenyo had an outstanding 2025/26 Premier League season for Manchester City: 17 goals, 4 assists, and a FotMob rating of 7.34. Williams contributed 6 assists and 3 goals across 30 La Liga appearances for Athletic Club, operating as their primary creative engine despite a difficult season for the club.
| Player | Club | Goals | Assists | KP/90 | Status |
| M. Kudus (OUT) | Tottenham | 3 | 5 | ~2.9 | Injured |
| A. Semenyo | Man City | 17 | 4 | ~1.4 | Available |
| I. Williams | Athletic Club | 3 | 6 | ~1.1 | Available |
| J. Ayew | Leicester | 5 | 3 | ~0.8 | Available |
| T. Partey | Arsenal | 1 | 2 | ~0.9 | Doubt |
Both are threats in transition and aerial duels. Neither is the penetrating dribbler who draws fouls and creates big chances from midfield areas, and the KP/90 gap between Kudus and every available option makes that impossible to paper over.
Ghana opens against Panama in Toronto, then faces England in Boston and Croatia in Philadelphia. Against Panama, Semenyo’s directness should be enough to create problems; the absence of Kudus is manageable at that level. Against England and Croatia, the calculation shifts completely.
England have never beaten Ghana in their only competitive meeting, a 1-1 result in 2011, but that record is irrelevant against a squad carrying Premier League quality throughout. Ghana and Croatia have no World Cup head-to-head history, and Croatia’s defensive solidity will demand exactly the individual brilliance Kudus possesses, and no current squad member reliably offers. Group L without Kudus isn’t just harder. It’s a different challenge entirely.
Queiroz’s most credible tactical option is dropping Partey deeper into midfield, freeing Semenyo to play centrally behind a front two and giving Williams the right wing to exploit in transition. A compact shape built on fast breaks, with Semenyo targeting channels and Williams finding space in behind, could yield points against Panama and keep Croatia and England honest in the early stages.
The Ghana World Cup 2026 squad Kudus’ absence impact won’t disappear through tactical adjustment alone. Kudus could beat a man, draw a foul, or conjure a chance from nothing when the game was goalless, and Ghana needed something to happen. That capacity to change a match through individual quality isn’t in this squad without him. Queiroz can limit the damage. He can’t eliminate it.
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Why is Mohammed Kudus not in Ghana’s World Cup 2026 squad?
Kudus was ruled out after a quadriceps injury and a rehabilitation setback that could require surgery. The Ghana FA confirmed he’ll focus on full recovery ahead of 2026/27.
Who will replace Kudus in Ghana’s World Cup 2026 squad?
Antoine Semenyo and Iñaki Williams are expected to lead Ghana’s attack in Kudus’s absence. Semenyo scored 17 Premier League goals in 2025/26; Williams added 6 assists for Athletic Club.
What group is Ghana in at the 2026 World Cup?
Ghana is in Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Panama. They face Panama in Toronto, England in Boston, and Croatia in Philadelphia.
How many goals did Kudus score this season?
Kudus scored 3 goals and added 5 assists across 24 Tottenham appearances before injury ended his season. He also scored the goal that secured Ghana’s World Cup qualification against Comoros.
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