It will be a fourth tournament overall for Bafana Bafana, who also appeared in 1998 and 2002, but have yet to advance past the group stages. In each of their three previous appearances at the global finals, they finished third in their pool, which might be enough to advance this time round.
They are a competitive team made up mostly of home-based players, but the step up in quality from what they usually face will be huge. They have at least been handed a plum fixture: the tournament opener against co-hosts Mexico, a repeat of the 2010 opening game that ended 1-1 at Soccer City in Soweto.
South Africa’s FIFA World Cup schedule
During the FIFA World Cup draw in December 2025, Bafana Bafana were drawn into Group A with co-hosts Mexico, South Korea and Czech Republic.
South Africa’s full FIFA World Cup schedule is as follows:
Thursday, June 11: Mexico vs South Africa, Azteca Stadium, Mexico City — 13h00 local time, 21h00 CET / SAST
Thursday, June 18: Czech Republic vs South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta — 12h00 local time, 18h00 CET / SAST
Wednesday, June 24: South Africa vs South Korea, Estadio BBVA, Monterrey — 19h00 local time, 03h00 CET / SAST on Thursday, June 25
Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in our article HERE >
Where will South Africa play their World Cup games?
They say there are two games you want to play in at the FIFA World Cup: the opening match and the final. South Africa have one of those, with the chances of both extremely remote.
Their opening clash against co-hosts Mexico will take place at the famed Azteca Stadium, a venue already steeped in World Cup folklore and which has recently completed renovations to add capacity ahead of the 2026 tournament.
With the renovations, the stadium has increased its capacity from 83,000 to 87,500, adding a new sound system, two video screens, new changing rooms and a hybrid pitch.
It was on the pitch at the cavernous venue that Diego Maradona stuck out his forearm to steer in the infamous “Hand of God” goal against England at the 1986 tournament and then, for good measure, ran through the defence in a brilliant mazy solo run.
It was also the venue for Brazil’s 4-1 victory over Italy in the 1970 final, regarded by many as the best performance by any team in World Cup history.
Bafana Bafana’s second game, against Czech Republic, will be staged at the magnificent Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, among the top sporting venues in the world.
Opened in 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it is home to the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer. The retractable roof is a major feature and it has a capacity of around 71,000.
South Africa return to Mexico for their final Group A clash against South Korea, which will be played at the Estadio BBVA in Monterrey. The venue can hold 53,500 fans and was opened in 2015. It is home to Mexican top-flight side CF Monterrey.
South Africa’s World Cup potential knockout schedule
If South Africa win Group A, they will face a third-placed team from one of Groups C, E, F, H or I. This round-of-32 game would take place on Tuesday, June 30, in Mexico City. Kick-off is set for 19h00 local time, 03h00 CET / SAST on Wednesday, July 1.
With a second-place finish in Group A, Bafana Bafana will face the runners-up in Group B, which includes co-hosts Canada, Switzerland, Qatar and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This fixture would take place on Sunday, June 28, at 12h00 local time, 21h00 CET / SAST, in Los Angeles.
With a third-place finish in Group A, Bafana Bafana could advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams in the pool phase. There are two possible opponents in that scenario, with those round-of-32 games scheduled as follows:
Monday, June 29, 16h30 local time, 01h30 CET / SAST on Tuesday, June 30: Group E winners vs best third-placed team from Group A/B/C/D/F — Gillette Stadium, Boston
Wednesday, July 1, 13h00 local time, 22h00 CET / SAST: Group G winners vs best third-placed team from Group A/E/H/I/J — Lumen Field, Seattle
Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in our article HERE >
South Africa’s World Cup preparations
In preparation for the FIFA World Cup, Bafana Bafana hope to play at least one friendly game in Mexico, but that has not been confirmed yet.
They will train in Pachuca, Mexico, using the facilities of the Pachuca Universidad del Futbol, a football and sports sciences academy aligned to local club CF Pachuca. It has an extensive campus of football pitches.
Pachuca sits at an altitude of 2,432m, significantly higher than Johannesburg, but boasts a cool summer climate with high rainfall and occasional hail. The warmest month is May, with an average high of 24°C and a low of 9°C.
Bafana will stay at the Camino Real Pachuca, a five-star hotel surrounded by gardens and forest and situated 5km from Pachuca, the capital and largest city of the east-central Mexican state of Hidalgo.
Pachuca is located about 90 kilometres north of Mexico City via Mexican Federal Highway 85, meaning easy travel for Bafana to get to their opening game against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on June 11.