South African national team misses World Cup departure over visa issues

The South African national football team was unable to depart for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on May 31 due to visa problems affecting several players and officials, South African Football Association (SAFA) announced.

“The South African senior men’s national team has experienced challenges regarding Visas for some players and officials, and as a result the group could not travel to North America this morning as originally planned. 

SAFA is working around the clock to ensure that the team travels to Mexico City as soon as possible ahead of the opening match of the global tournament against the hosts Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on June 11, 2026,” South African Football Association said.

The association noted that an emergency meeting will be held to address the situation. 

The 2026 FIFA World Cup will take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. South Africa is set to compete in Group A alongside Mexico, the Czech Republic, and South Korea.

By Jeyhun Aghazada