Former Ghana coach Otto Addo joins FIFA's technical team for the World Cup

Former Ghana head coach Otto Addo has been appointed to FIFA’s Technical Study Group for the 2026 World Cup, weeks after his departure from the Ghana national team.

FIFA announced that Addo will join a ten‑member panel tasked with analysing all 104 matches of the tournament, which will be staged in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The panel will work under former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger and FIFA Senior Football Expert Pascal Zuberbühl. Other members include Jürgen Klinsmann, Gilberto Silva, Pablo Zabaleta and Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Addo will be the sole African representative on the group.

Otto Addo – Getty image

FIFA explains technical group role

FIFA states that the Technical Study Group will examine tactical trends, player performances and match data throughout the competition.

Group members will also assist in selecting the recipients of individual awards such as the Golden Ball, Golden Boot and Golden Glove.

Wenger said: “The Technical Study Group helps identify trends in the game, prepare future generations for football’s development and contribute to making the sport more exciting by highlighting the qualities players will need in the future.”

He added: “We are not only collecting more data than before but also trying to strike the right balance between technical expertise and data.”

Addo returns to World Cup stage

The appointment follows Ghana’s dismissal of Addo after a series of poor results, including a friendly loss to Germany in March.

Despite his exit, Addo led Ghana to qualification for the 2026 World Cup, becoming the first coach to guide the Black Stars to the tournament on two separate occasions.

His second tenure produced mixed outcomes, with Ghana failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after finishing at the bottom of their qualifying group.

Addo previously represented Ghana as a player at the 2006 World Cup and later coached the team at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, becoming the first Ghanaian to both play for and coach the national side at football’s premier event.