Bafana Bafana to play 2026 Fifa World Cup opening match against Mexico

The anticipation is over for South Africa’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, who have been drawn in Group A for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.

The announcement came following the Final Draw at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC on Friday evening, marking a milestone for coach Hugo Broos and his squad.

Broos and his players can now plan for their group-stage opponents: Mexico, Korea, and a European qualifier to be decided in March 2026. FIFA, football’s world governing body, will announce the fixtures and match venues on Saturday.

Ahead of the draw, Fifa organised four pots of 12 teams each, largely based on world rankings. Hosts Canada, Mexico, and the US were pre-seeded into Groups A, B, and D, alongside top sides such as Spain, Argentina, France, and Brazil. The highest-ranked teams, including Spain, Argentina, France and England, were given protected status to avoid early clashes if they top their groups.

The top two teams from each group, plus the eight best third-placed sides, advance to the round of 32. The 2026 tournament will be historic, expanding to 48 teams for the first time and offering more nations the chance to compete on the global stage.

South Africa had a strong presence at the draw. SAFA president Danny Jordaan attended, alongside Broos, team manager Vincent Tseka, commercial and marketing manager Errol Madlala, travel and procurement manager Veronica Mokoena, and communications manager Mninawa Ntloko.

The other eight African teams at the 2026 World Cup are Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Cape Verde.