Black Stars defender Gideon Mensah says the playing body is not heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup merely to participate, but to compete at the highest level, with ambitions stretching as far as the final.

The left-back, who plays for AJ Auxerre, believes progress must be measured step by step, starting with a strong group-stage showing before any talk of lifting the trophy.

The Ghana, four-time African champions, will make their fifth appearance at the global tournament, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. They have been drawn in Group L alongside Panama, England and Croatia.

The Black Stars are seeking to move beyond the group stage for the first time since 2010, having suffered early exits in both the 2014 and 2022 editions.

Speaking to the Ghana Football Association (GFA) website, Mensah stressed the need for realism blended with ambition.

“I mean, we are hoping that we do better than our last World Cup, which was to go out of the group stage, and then we take it from there,” Mensah said.

He added that while winning the tournament remains a dream, the immediate focus must be on qualification from the group.

“I mean, we can aim to go to the finals and to win the World Cup, but then it needs to start from somewhere,” Mensah said.

“So, if we are to go to the last World Cup, then I think we have to also focus on getting out of the group stage and then from there we can look into what will happen,” he added.

As part of their build-up, the Black Stars have opened camp in Cardiff and will face Wales in a friendly on June 2. Head coach Carlos Queiroz is expected to name his final 26-man squad before the match.

Ghana begin their World Cup campaign against Panama on June 17 at BMO Field, before meeting England on June 23 at Gillette Stadium, and concluding their group fixtures against Croatia on June 27 at Lincoln Financial Field.