The 2026 FIFA World Cup was the fourth tournament overall for Bafana Bafana, who also appeared in 1998 and 2002, but before the 2026 finals had yet to advance past the group stages. In each of their three previous appearances, they finished third in their pool.
Bafana's 2-0 opening defeat to Mexico dampened the mood in the South Africa camp, but they bounced back with a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic and then got one of their best World Cup results yet with a 1-0 victory over South Korea.
That set up a round of 32 fixture against Canada in Los Angeles, but they fell short in a 1-0 defeat following a late winner for their opponents.
They are a competitive team made up mostly of home-based players, but the step up in quality from what they usually face has been huge.
South Africa’s World Cup 2026 schedule and results
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 (2-0)
Thursday, June 18: Czech Republic vs South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta (1-1)
Wednesday, June 24: South Africa vs South Korea, Estadio BBVA, Monterrey (1-0)
Sunday, June 28: Canada vs South Africa, Los Angeles Stadium (1-0)
Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in our article HERE >
Where did 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 had one of those, with the chances of both extremely remote.
Their opening clash against co-hosting Mexico took 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, was 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 returned to Mexico for their final Group A clash against South Korea, 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.
The team played their round of 32 game in Los Angeles against Canada. It is a state-of-the-art 70,000-seater venue, arguably one of the best in the wordl for sport.
South Africa’s World Cup preparations
In preparation for the FIFA World Cup, Bafana Bafana played two friendlies, one of which, as hoped, was played in Mexico. Jamaica was the opponent and held South Africa to a 1-1 draw in the Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, Mexico.
Bafana Bafana's base camp is situated 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.