Black Stars midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi made history on Wednesday, netting a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Panama in Ghana’s 2026 FIFA World Cup opener to become the Black Stars’ youngest-ever goalscorer in tournament history.
The youngster struck deep into added time to break a tense 0â0 deadlock at BMO Field in Toronto. The goal secured three vital Group L points for Ghana and instantly etched Yirenkyi’s name into the record books.
By scoring at 20 years and 153 days old, Yirenkyi narrowly broke a national record that had stood for exactly two decades. Legendary Black Stars striker Asamoah Gyan previously held the title, having been 20 years and 207 days old when he scored Ghana’s first-ever World Cup goal against the Czech Republic in 2006.
Mohammed Kudus, the third-youngest Ghanaian scorer, was 22 years and 118 days old when he netted against South Korea in 2022.
Yirenkyi also became the 10th different Ghanaian player to score at a World Cup, with his goal marking the Black Stars’ 19th overall in the tournament.
The victory puts Ghana in a strong position early in the group stage. They face a critical test in their second Group L fixture against England on June 23 in Boston, before wrapping up the group stage against Croatia on June 27.