Ghanaian billionaire Ibrahim Mahama just paid the first $2 million of his $5 million pledge to get Ghana to the 2026 World Cup

Ibrahim Mahama made the biggest private sector pledge when Ghana's World Cup fundraising campaign launched in March. On April 30, he started making good on it.

Engineers and Planners Limited, the mining and infrastructure company led by Mahama, disbursed $2 million to Ghana's Black Stars campaign fund on Thursday, the first installment of the $5 million headline sponsorship the company committed when the initiative went public six weeks ago. The payment was formally presented at Ghana's Ministry of Finance, where Mahama was received by Deputy Finance Minister Thomas Nyarko Ampem.

Ampem confirmed at the ceremony that the money had already been wired before the event. "Today, we are privileged to have our lead sponsor, Engineers and Planners, who on the day of the launch pledged to support us with $5 million," he said. "I'm happy to say that today, they are here to redeem part of the pledge of $2 million. They have already paid the money into the account, but we are going to do the symbolic presentation."

Mahama, who also serves as chief executive of Dzata Group Holdings, the parent company of Engineers and Planners, told those gathered that the payment was only the start. "This is just the beginning of that support to the country, and as time goes on, we will ensure that we redeem the remaining balance that we have promised," he said.

The disbursement is the largest single corporate payment so far in a fundraising drive that has gathered unusual momentum. Ghana's government, under President John Dramani Mahama, launched the $30 million campaign with a clear instruction: private money, not public funds, would cover what it costs to send the Black Stars to a World Cup being hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The campaign is targeting logistics, training infrastructure and fan travel, with officials noting that flying and accommodating even 200 supporters abroad could cost close to $2 million on its own.

The campaign has drawn support from across Ghana's private sector and entertainment industry. Gold Fields Ghana has committed $2 million, with a further $1 million expected next year. KGL Group has pledged GH10 million, with GH5 million already paid. Christian Salamony Game Technology has committed $2 million, and Serene Insurance has pledged GH2 million in cash alongside a GH20 million insurance package. Musicians Shatta Wale and Stonebwoy pledged $100,000 and $101,000 respectively at the March launch event. An anonymous donor has also contributed $1 million.

The combined contributions now exceed $12 million, against a $30 million target. Ghana has been drawn in Group L alongside England, Croatia and Panama, a bracket that has sharpened the urgency around early, well-funded preparation. Engineers and Planners' remaining $3 million, once disbursed, will represent the single largest private contribution to the campaign.