FIFA World Cup 2026: All Bafana Bafana Match Dates, Venues and Kick-Off Times
- Bafana Bafana’s full 2026 World Cup schedule has been confirmed, including dates, venues, and kick-off times
- South Africa will face Mexico, South Korea, and a play-off winner in Group A
- The 2026 World Cup will be the first edition with 48 teams, featuring an expanded group stage format
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FIFA has confirmed the fixtures, match dates, venues, and kick-off times for Bafana Bafana ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Mexico, Canada, and the United States. The announcement follows the tournament draw held on Friday, 5 December 2025, in Washington, DC.
Source: Getty Images
Placed in Pot 3, South Africa’s national team was grouped with nations including Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Uzbekistan, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, meaning they could not be drawn to face any of those sides.
Bafana Bafana were drawn against Mexico, South Korea, and a European nation yet to emerge from the play-off stages. In a historic echo, Mexico will host South Africa as the two teams open their group, mirroring their encounter during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa 15 years ago.
Bafana Bafana Group A schedule and World Cup format
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be the first to feature 48 teams, divided into 12 groups of four. The tournament will take place across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, running from 11 June to 19 July 2026. The top two teams from each group, along with the eight best third-placed sides, will progress to the Round of 32.
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Bafana Bafana will kick off their campaign in Group A on Thursday, 11 June, against Mexico at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, with kick-off at 22:00 South African time. Their second match will take place on Thursday, 18 June, against the Playoff winner at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, starting at 19:00 SA time. They will conclude the group stage on Wednesday, 25 June, against South Korea at Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe, with a 04:00 kick-off SA time.
Bafana Bafana had enjoyed an unbeaten run of 25 matches on the field. However, FIFA later overturned their 2–0 victory over Lesotho in March, awarding a 3–0 loss due to the inclusion of suspended player Teboho Mokoena. Despite this setback, coach Hugo Broos and his squad can take confidence from their last official defeat, which dates back to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Source: Getty Images
Hugo Broos is unhappy with the draw
Meanwhile, the head coach of Bafana Bafana, Hugo Broos, expressed his feelings on how the draw played out. The Belgian coach was part of the South African delegation that travelled to the United States of America. bout opening against the home team or playing in front of 80,000 energetic fans, noting that while the atmosphere would be incredible, his team had nothing to lose because few expect South Africa to beat Mexico. He added that the players should simply enjoy the moment.
Watch the video below:
Mbule shares what Broos told Bafana
Briefly News earlier reported that Sipho Mbule shared what Broos told Bafana Bafana ahead of their friendly game against Zambia.
The former Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder was one of the best players in the international friendly match against the 2012 AFCON winners.
Source: Briefly News
