Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos will announce his squad for the 2026 Fifa World Cup on Wednesday night.
Image: Backpagepix
Welcome to IOL Sport's blow-by-blow coverage of one of the most anticipated moments in recent South African sporting history.
The wait is finally over as Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos is set to announce his final squad for the 2026 Fifa World Cup on Wednesday night. The global showpiece will kick-off in Mexico City on June 11, with South Africa taking on co-hosts Mexico in the opening match.
After a gruelling, high-stakes qualification campaign that captured the imagination of the entire country, the nation stops today to find out exactly which players will bear the immense honour of representing the rainbow nation on football’s grandest global stage.
Throughout the afternoon, we will bring you the live updates, instant expert analysis, and breaking news as Bafana Bafana's World Cup journey starts right here.
From England to Norway and the United States, several South Africans have quietly built reputations in competitive leagues across the globe — and dersevedly they form the backbone of Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos’ World Cup plans.
Leading that list is Burnley striker Lyle Foster, whose importance to Bafana continues to grow with every international window.
Premier League-based Lyle Foster will lead Bafana Bafana's attack in North America.
Image: Backpagepix
Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has confirmed his final 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, trimming his group ahead of South Africa’s global campaign.
The announcement, which had been closely anticipated following weeks of evaluation camps and warm-up matches, saw several notable exclusions.
The Bafana Bafana squad for the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
Image: Mihlali Baleka / Independent Medi
The Bafana Bafana 2026 Fifa World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine.
Defenders: Khuliso Mudau, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Ime Okon, Khulumani Ndamane, Aubrey Modiba, Samukele Kabini, Thabang Matuludi, Olwethu Makhanya, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Bradley Cross, Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Thalente Mbatha, Sphephelo Sithole, Jayden Adams.
Strikers: Oswin Appollis, Iqraam Rayners, Tshepang Moremi, Relebohile Mofokeng, Evidence Makgopa, Themba Zwane, Lyle Foster, Thapelo Maseko.
The Bafana Bafana 2026 Fifa World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Ricardo Goss, Sipho Chaine.
Defenders: Khuliso Mudau, Nkosinathi Sibisi, Ime Okon, Khulumani Ndamane, Aubrey Modiba, Samukele Kabini, Thabang Matuludi, Olwethu Makhanya, Kamogelo Sebelebele, Bradley Cross, Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Thalente Mbatha, Sphephelo Sithole, Jayden Adams.
Strikers: Oswin Appollis, Iqraam Rayners, Tshepang Moremi, Relebohile Mofokeng, Evidence Makgopa, Themba Zwane, Lyle Foster, Thapelo Maseko.
The Bafana Bafana 2026 Fifa World Cup squad.
Image: Safa
Sport, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie has officially announced a blockbuster supporter competition that will see 16 lucky South Africans travel to Mexico to back Bafana Bafana live at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
McKenzie unveiled the initiative during Bafana’s official, star-studded World Cup squad send-off ceremony at the Union Buildings on Wednesday — where national excitement surrounding the team’s historic return to football’s grandest global stage reached fever pitch. The minister revealed that the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, alongside major corporate sponsors HONOR, Betway, Old School, and Cell C, will fully fund the high-profile fan experience campaign.
The competition officially throws open its doors for entries on Thursday, with the selected supporters scheduled to attend South Africa’s highly anticipated second group-stage encounter against the Czech Republic in Monterrey.
“This team cannot go to the World Cup alone,” McKenzie declared during his passionate address at the ceremony. “We want South Africans there. We want our flags there, our songs there, and our people there. Football belongs to the people.”
The newly minted initiative follows hot on the heels of the previous “Mzansi to the World Cup Lucky Fans Competition” — a viral campaign that attracted hundreds of thousands of entries from passionate supporters across the country.
With Hugo Broos’ men heading into the global showpiece carrying the immense tactical expectations of a rejuvenated football nation, government and corporate South Africa remain fiercely determined to ensure that Mzansi’s iconic stadium culture is vividly on display in the stands, as well as on television screens across the globe.
New VAR rules for 2026 Fifa World Cup/
Image: Graphic News
President Cyril Ramaphosa had a couple of interviews before sitting through sports minister Gayton McKenzie's jokes, which always seems to be involving himself ...
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The Kaizer Chiefs duo of left-back Bradley Cross and right-back Thabiso Monyane have impressed in recent months for their club and, as a result, have been rewarded with call-ups to the Bafana Bafana preliminary squad. However, they face slim chances of making the final 26-man squad set for the Americas.
Bafana coach Hugo Broos will announce his final 26-man World Cup squad at the Sefako Makgatho Presidential Guest House, part of the Union Buildings, on Wednesday evening.
All you need to know about the groups, venues and path to the final
Image: Graphic News
Bafana Bafana will play in their first Fifa World Cup tournament since hosting the event in 2010.
Image: IOL
Mamelodi Sundowns’ second CAF Champions League crown in Rabat did more than add another star to their growing continental legacy.
It reinforced a reality that has been building over several seasons, the Brazilians are now the heartbeat of South African football’s biggest ambitions once again. Beyond the celebrations and silverware, the same core group that dominated Africa is now expected to form the backbone of Bafana Bafana’s push towards the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
It could not have been scripted better that the core of the World Cup-bound Bafana Bafana squad is made up of champions — namely Orlando Pirates, who clinched the Betway Premiership title on the final day of the 2025/2026 season, and Mamelodi Sundowns, who won the CAF Champions League on Sunday night in Rabat.
Sundowns brought home their second star after beating AS FAR 2-1 on aggregate (they drew 1-1 in Rabat after the South Africans secured a 1-0 home win in the first leg in Tshwane).
The 1998 Fifa World Cup was meant to be a celebration of South Africa’s first appearance at the global quadrennial football extravaganza.
But the road to France ‘98 was one of much sadness and regret for a group of players who had bathed their country in glory just two years earlier by winning the 1996 AFCON on home soil at the first attempt, and then earning World Cup qualification under their beloved coach Clive Barker.
Nine South Africans have scored a total of 11 goals at the Fifa World Cup since Bafana Bafana's debut in 1998.
Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy are the top goalscorers for the nation at the showpiece event, with two apiece.
With Bafana Bafana set to play their first tournament in 16 years in three weeks' time, opening against Mexico in Mexico City, we relive the goals scored by South Africans.
At 7pm on Wednesday night, Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos will officially confirm his final 26-man squad for the prestigious trip to the Americas during a high-profile announcement at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The overarching question ahead of the deadline is exactly how much Broos will choose to reward raw domestic form versus established tactical continuity as he trims his preliminary group down.
War is fought on many fronts, and Bafana Bafana captain Ronwen Williams showed he understands that as he called on the nation to get behind the national squad and pray for the players headed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, where they will hoist the South African flag among 47 other footballing nations.
The World Cup of the Americas — to be hosted jointly by Mexico, Canada and the USA — will be played between June 11 and July 19.
Banking giant Standard Bank gave Bafana Bafana a fitting send-off ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup at their headquarters in Rosebank on Wednesday morning.
The national team’s main sponsors rolled out the 'blue' carpet in style as players walked into a packed foyer through a guard of honour formed by staff members, while others watched from the building’s seven floors. Loud chants created a euphoric atmosphere, while a designated choir ensured the team received a warm welcome by proudly singing the national anthem.