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The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is on! Each day ahead of the tournament’s return to North America, Yahoo Sports will highlight an insight or moment that showcases just how grand the world’s biggest sporting spectacle has become — even beyond the expanded field of this year’s global event.
Carlos Queiroz barely had time to clear out his desk in Oman before his phone rang again.
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Three weeks after being dismissed as head coach of Oman, the 73-year-old was hired by Ghana in April after the Black Stars' previous coach, Otto Addo, was fired in March following a fourth-straight loss.
It’s another chance at history. When Queiroz coaches Ghana this summer, he will have coached at five World Cups, tying Bora Milutinović for second all time behind Carlos Alberto Parreira’s record six. The Black Stars will be Queiroz’s third side to take part in the quadrennial tournament, while Parreira managed five different nations. All five of Milutinović’s appearances were with different countries.
Ghana, already qualified, was drawn into Group L with England, Croatia and Panama.
Queiroz first’s World Cup nearly came in 2002 with South Africa. He helped Bafana Bafana qualify, but resigned three months before the competition began. Eight years later, he managed Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal. He then helped Iran qualify for three straight tournaments and was the longest-serving manager in the history of the country's national team.
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Ghana will look to change its recent history at World Cups under Queiroz. It has qualified four times and failed to advance out of the group stage in its past two appearances in 2022 and 2014. It also recently did not qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, its first time missing out in 21 years.
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