“Carlos Queiroz in search of history at the 2026 World Cup.”

The countdown to the 2026 World Cup is accelerating, and with just 35 days until kickoff, a story of redemption and ambition is emerging from the shadows of African football. Carlos Queiroz, the veteran 73-year-old Portuguese coach, is preparing to write a historic chapter by taking charge of the Ghana national team, on a mission that could place him alongside the greatest names in world football.

Having been dismissed from his role as coach of Oman just three weeks ago, Queiroz has had little time to catch his breath. In April, he was surprisingly hired by the Ghana Football Association, which decided to part ways with Otto Addo after four consecutive defeats. Now, the Black Stars are placing their hopes in him to turn around a cycle of disappointments.

This will be Queiroz’s fifth appearance at the World Cup, a feat that ties him with Bora Milutinović as the second coach with the most participations in this competition, only behind Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira, who holds the record with six appearances. Interestingly, while Parreira has coached five different national teams, Queiroz will have three countries on his World Cup resume, and Milutinović coached all five of his World Cups with distinct teams.

Ghana has already secured qualification for the 2026 World Cup, placed in Group L alongside England, Croatia, and Panama, a challenge that promises to test the experience of the Portuguese coach. Queiroz has already tasted the final stages of the competition in 2002 when he nearly led South Africa but resigned three months before the tournament began. In 2010, he managed Portugal, with Cristiano Ronaldo at his peak, and later was the mentor of Iran, leading them to qualification for three consecutive World Cups, becoming the coach with the longest tenure in the history of that national team.

The task in Ghana is not easy. The African team recently failed to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, an unprecedented achievement in 21 years, and in the 2014 and 2022 World Cups, they did not advance beyond the group stage. Now, with Queiroz at the helm, the Black Stars want to turn the page and show that they can compete on equal footing with the powerhouses of world football.

Carlos Queiroz is ready to challenge history, and his already legendary career has one more chapter to write. The 2026 World Cup will be his litmus test, and Ghana, his bold bet to surprise the world. The countdown has begun: the time to make history is now.

This article first appeared on Apito Final.