South Africa’s World Cup 2026 departure delayed over Mexican visa debacle
Key takeaways
- World Cup delegation held up as players await visa for Mexico, whom South Africa face in the opening game in 11 days.
- xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo South Africa will open the World Cup in their Group.
- Mexico will host South Africa in the World Cup’s opening game at the Estadio Azteca on June 11.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
World Cup delegation held up as players await visa for Mexico, whom South Africa face in the opening game in 11 days.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo South Africa will open the World Cup in their Group. A match against cohosts Mexico on June 11, 2026 [File: Themba Hadebe/AP]By Al Jazeera Staff Published On 31 May 202631 May 2026The South African squad’s departure for the FIFA World Cup has been delayed due to a hold-up in the visas for Mexico, whom they face in the tournament’s opening game in 11 days, the South African Football Association (SAFA) has said.
Bafana Bafana, as South Africa’s national men’s football team is known, were scheduled to depart on a chartered flight from Johannesburg to Mexico City on Sunday morning, but remained grounded as visas for the cohost nation for some squad members were delayed.