A new wave of enthusiasm is building around the possibility of a joint FIFA World Cup bid involving Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire, following new indications from Ghana’s Minister of Sports and Recreation, Kofi Adams.
Adams’ remarks have revived conversations about a potential West African hosting partnership, a concept that aligns with FIFA’s growing approval of multi-country tournaments.
Nigeria, Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire already stand among Africa’s most successful footballing nations, backed by Africa Cup of Nations victories and consistent World Cup appearances. Côte d’Ivoire’s recent AFCON triumph and hosting success in 2023, combined with Ghana’s historic five AFCON titles and Nigeria’s long-standing global presence, underline their readiness.
Officials in the three countries have quietly shown interest in exploring what would be one of Africa’s most ambitious football collaborations, particularly as global hosting formats continue to evolve.
The world is already witnessing a shift toward shared hosting, seen in the United States, Canada and Mexico preparing for 2026, and Morocco, Spain and Portugal set for 2030. Adams believes this changing landscape creates a favourable opening for West Africa to present a strong case once Saudi Arabia concludes its 2034 World Cup duties.
He stressed that all three nations possess essential infrastructure and experience, pointing to Ghana’s successful hosting of the African Games, Côte d’Ivoire’s modern stadium projects and Nigeria’s rich history of staging continental and youth World Cup tournaments.
Although a formal bid cannot emerge before 2034, the growing political and sporting momentum suggests that a Ghana, Nigeria and Côte d’Ivoire proposal could become one of the continent’s most compelling future entries.
The idea itself is not entirely new. Earlier in the century, former Super Eagles captain Segun Odegbami pushed for a wider ECOWAS World Cup concept spanning several West African countries, although that effort did not materialise before South Africa won the rights to host the 2010 edition.
