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Carlos Queiroz makes World Cup history as Ghana beat Panama

Edem Kwame
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Carlos Queiroz etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after leading Ghana's Black Stars to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, becoming one of the few coaches to manage at five consecutive World Cup tournaments.

The 73-year-old Portuguese tactician was on the touchline as Ghana secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama in their Group L opener at Toronto Stadium on June 17, 2026.

The decisive moment came in stoppage time when Caleb Yirenkyi scored the only goal of the match, handing the Black Stars all three points and a dream start to their World Cup campaign.

Queiroz's latest World Cup appearance places him alongside legendary Serbian coach Bora Milutinović, who managed at five consecutive World Cups between 1986 and 2002 with five different national teams.

READ MORE: 3 red cards in the 2026 FIFA World Cup opener as South Africa fall to Mexico

Only Brazilian manager Carlos Alberto Parreira has appeared at more World Cups, having coached in six editions, although not consecutively.

Queiroz's remarkable World Cup journey began with Portugal at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He then led Iran at three successive tournaments in 2014, 2018 and 2022 before taking charge of Ghana for the 2026 edition.

The Ghana Football Association appointed Queiroz in April 2026 following the departure of Otto Addo after a string of disappointing friendly results.

Before accepting the Ghana job, Queiroz had largely stayed away from the spotlight after his spell with Oman, leading many observers to believe his coaching career had reached its final chapter.

However, the veteran manager remains one of football's most respected coaches. At club level, he previously managed Real Madrid and also served as assistant manager to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United during one of the club's most successful periods.

READ MORE: Which country has scored the most goals in FIFA World Cup history? Full Rankings

Queiroz first gained worldwide recognition after guiding Portugal's Under-20 team to back-to-back FIFA U-20 World Cup titles in 1989 and 1991. T

hose triumphs helped develop a generation of stars that included Luís Figo, Paulo Sousa and João Pinto.

Now, Queiroz has another opportunity to enhance his legacy with Ghana. The Black Stars are making their fifth FIFA World Cup appearance and have been drawn into a challenging Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama.

Following their victory over Panama, Ghana sit second in Group L and will now turn their attention to a much tougher test against England in their next World Cup fixture.

Edem Kwame

Edem Kwame is a journalist at GH News Media covering sports and national developments in Ghana.

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