South Africa World Cup 2026 Preview: Best Players, Roster and History

South Africa will play the first match of the World Cup for the second time in their history and, interestingly, against the same opponent. In 2010, he hosted Mexico in Johannesburg, but this time Bafana Bafana will be the visitors to Mexico City’s renovated Estadio Azteca. With a co-host and a tough South Korea team in the same group, it could be difficult to achieve success this summer. How they qualified: South Africa secured a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by finishing top of Group C in CAF qualifying, securing automatic qualification with 18 points and edging out traditional powerhouse Nigeria. His reward for reaching the 2026 tournament? The opening match against co-hosts Mexico on June 11 in a reverse rematch of the 2010 tournament hosted by South Africa. World Cup group stage schedule: Previous World Cup appearances: What is South Africa’s best World Cup result? Who is the South African player to watch? Lyle Foster brings a strong attacking presence to Bafana Bafana. He is fast and can be dangerous in the build-up, but his teammates have to find ways to get him the ball. The 25-year-old striker plays for Burnley in the Premier League, where he has scored three goals this season. Foster scored two goals and had two assists at the Africa Cup of Nations as South Africa advanced to the knockout stages. Who is South Africa’s manager for the World Cup? Hugo Broos took charge of South Africa after leading Cameroon to the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations title and managing clubs in Belgium, Algeria and Turkey. Broos guided South Africa through the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, securing the nation’s return to the tournament. South Africa’s all-time leading scorer: South Africa’s all-time leading caps South Africa team nickname: About the country: Want great stories delivered straight to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!