 In the team's opening match, he came on as a second-half substitute against the United States in a 2–1 defeat.He was then selected to start against Germany in a 2–2 draw, playing against his brother again.On 26 June, Boateng was sent home and suspended from the Ghana squad for disciplinary reasons, only hours before the final group match against Portugal, after he was alleged to have verbally abused former manager James Kwesi Appiah during a team meeting.