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Former Ghana head coach Otto Addohas been appointed to FIFA’s Technical Study Group for the 2026 World Cup, weeks after leaving his role with the Ghana national football team.
FIFA confirmed that Addo will be part of a 10-member panel responsible for analysing all 104 matches during the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The group will operate under former Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger and FIFA Senior Football Expert Pascal Zuberbühler. Other members include Jürgen Klinsmann, Gilberto Silva, Pablo Zabaleta and Jon Dahl Tomasson.
Addo will be the only African representative on the panel.
FIFA explains technical group role
According to FIFA, the Technical Study Group will analyse tactical trends, player performances and match data throughout the competition.
Members will also help determine winners of individual awards including 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 comes shortly after Ghana dismissed Addo following a poor run of results, including a friendly defeat to Germany in March.
Despite his exit, Addo guided Ghana to qualification for the 2026 World Cup, becoming the first coach to lead the Black Stars to the tournament on two occasions.
His second spell produced mixed results overall, with Ghana failing to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after finishing 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, where he became the first Ghanaian to both play for and coach the national side at football’s biggest event.