South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule: Bafana Bafana fixtures, venues and kick-off times

[p]The 2026 FIFA World Cup is the [b]fourth tournament[/b] overall for Bafana Bafana, who also appeared in [a href="https://www.flashscore.com/football/world/world-cup-1998/#/ObJudGJH/standings/" target="_blank"]1998[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.com/football/world/world-cup-2002/" target="_blank"]2002[/a], but they have yet to advance past the [b]group stages[/b]. In each of their three previous appearances at the global finals, they finished third in their pool, which might be enough to advance this time round.[/p][p]Finishing third means South Africa will have to improve massively, with Bafana's 2-0 opening defeat to Mexico dampening the mood in the South Africa camp.[/p][p]Two more group-stage games could pave the team's road to redemption, but who will they face? [b]Flashscore[/b] shows you South Africa's full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule.[/p][p]They are a competitive team made up mostly of home-based players, but the step up in quality from what they usually face will be huge. They have at least been handed a plum fixture: the [b]tournament opener [/b]against [b]co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/O6iHcNkd/"]Mexico[/a][/b], a repeat of the [a href="https://www.flashscore.com/football/world/world-cup-2010/#/QN1QYX1j/standings/" target="_blank"]2010[/a] opening game that ended [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/mexico-O6iHcNkd/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=EywwuPWG"]1-1[/a] at [b]Soccer City in Soweto[/b].[/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-africa/W2ijYvlr/"]South Africa[/a]’s World Cup 2026 schedule and results[/h2][p]During the FIFA World Cup draw in December 2025, Bafana Bafana were drawn into Group A with co-hosts [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mexico/O6iHcNkd/"]Mexico[/a][/b], [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/south-korea/K6Gs7P6G/"]South Korea[/a][/b] and [b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/6LHwBDGU/"]Czech Republic[/a][/b].[/p][p]South Africa’s full FIFA World Cup schedule is as follows:[/p][p][b]Thursday, June 11: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/mexico-O6iHcNkd/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=h4EoUB7T"]Mexico vs South Africa[/a], Azteca Stadium, Mexico City ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/mexico-O6iHcNkd/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=h4EoUB7T"]2-0[/a])[/b][/p][p][b]Thursday, June 18: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/czech-republic-6LHwBDGU/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/?mid=8nrACRTs"]Czech Republic vs South Africa[/a], Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta — 12h00 local time, 18h00 CET / SAST[/p][p][b]Wednesday, June 24: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/south-africa-W2ijYvlr/south-korea-K6Gs7P6G/?mid=4rr4ngNc"]South Africa vs South Korea[/a], Estadio BBVA, Monterrey — 19h00 local time, 03h00 CET / SAST on Thursday, June 25[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-fifa-world-cup-2026-full-schedule-calendar/IDzk9Epn/" target="_blank"]Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in our article HERE >[/a][/b][/p][embed guid="2b26985e-464c-4d1d-9f34-703ceb312096" url="https://x.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/2046942454457196899?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Where South Africa play their World Cup games?[/h2][p]They say there are two games you want to play in at the FIFA World Cup: the [b]opening match[/b] and the [b]final[/b]. South Africa had one of those, with the chances of both extremely remote.[/p][p]Their opening clash against co-hosting [b]Mexico[/b] took place at the famed [b]Azteca Stadium[/b], a venue already steeped in World Cup folklore and which has recently completed renovations to add capacity ahead of the 2026 tournament.[/p][p]With the renovations, the stadium has increased its capacity from 83,000 to [b]87,500[/b], adding a new sound system, two video screens, new changing rooms and a hybrid pitch.[/p][p]It was on the pitch at the cavernous venue that [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/maradona-diego/2oVZGPyM/"]Diego Maradona[/a] stuck out his forearm to steer in the infamous “Hand of God” goal against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] at the 1986 tournament and then, for good measure, ran through the defence in a brilliant mazy solo run.[/p][p]It was also the venue for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a]’s 4-1 victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/italy/hlKvieGH/"]Italy[/a] in the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/brazil-I9l9aqLq/italy-hlKvieGH/?mid=MBkj8JP4"]1970 final[/a], regarded by many as the best performance by any team in World Cup history.[/p][p]Bafana Bafana’s second game, against [b]Czech Republic[/b], will be staged at the magnificent [b]Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta[/b], among the top sporting venues in the world.[/p][p]Opened in 2017 as a replacement for the Georgia Dome, it is home to the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League and Atlanta United FC of Major League Soccer. The retractable roof is a major feature and it has a capacity of around [b]71,000[/b].[/p][p]South Africa return to Mexico for their final Group A clash against [b]South Korea[/b], which will be played at the [b]Estadio BBVA in Monterrey[/b]. The venue can hold [b]53,500[/b] fans and was opened in 2015. It is home to Mexican top-flight side CF Monterrey.[/p][embed guid="323e00da-ba25-44f9-8179-582375abdfb5" url="https://x.com/BafanaBafana/status/2045064884786729043?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][h2]South Africa’s World Cup potential knockout schedule[/h2][p]If South Africa [b]win Group A[/b], they will face a [b]third-placed team[/b] from one of [b]Groups C, E, F, H or I[/b]. This round-of-32 game would take place on [b]Tuesday, June 30, in Mexico City[/b]. Kick-off is set for [b]19h00 local time, 03h00 CET / SAST on Wednesday, July 1[/b].[/p][p]With a [b]second-place finish in Group A[/b], Bafana Bafana will face the r[b]unners-up in Group B[/b], which includes co-hosts [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/canada/x4toKORL/"]Canada[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/switzerland/rHJ2vy1B/"]Switzerland[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/qatar/zqzHL77i/"]Qatar[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bosnia-herzegovina/fqe7WYTr/"]Bosnia and Herzegovina[/a]. This fixture would take place on [b]Sunday, June 28, at 12h00 local time, 21h00 CET / SAST[/b], in [b]Los Angeles[/b].[/p][p]With a [b]third-place finish in Group A[/b], Bafana Bafana could advance as one of the [b]eight best third-placed teams [/b]in the pool phase. There are two possible opponents in that scenario, with those round-of-32 games scheduled as follows:[/p][p][b]Monday, June 29, 16h30 local time, 01h30 CET / SAST on Tuesday, June 30:[/b] Group E winners vs best third-placed team from Group A/B/C/D/F — Gillette Stadium, Boston[/p][p][b]Wednesday, July 1, 13h00 local time, 22h00 CET / SAST: [/b]Group G winners vs best third-placed team from Group A/E/H/I/J — Lumen Field, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/seattle-sounders/6P5S63Ah/"]Seattle[/a][/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.com/news/soccer-fifa-world-cup-2026-full-schedule-calendar/IDzk9Epn/" target="_blank"]Check out the full 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in our article HERE >[/a][/p][embed guid="4d857021-2a91-44b0-a4a1-4f1096c8c0cd" url="https://x.com/BafanaBafana/status/2039297578848678290?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][h2]South Africa’s World Cup preparations[/h2][p]In preparation for the FIFA World Cup, [b]Bafana Bafana[/b] played two friendlies, one of which, as hoped, was played in Mexico. [b]Jamaica[/b] was the opponent and held South Africa to a 1-1 draw in the Estadio Hidalgo in [b]Pachuca, Mexico[/b].[/p][p]Bafana Bafana's base camp is situated in [b]Pachuca, Mexico[/b], using the facilities of the Pachuca Universidad del Futbol, a football and sports sciences academy aligned to local club [b]CF Pachuca[/b]. It has an extensive campus of football pitches.[/p][p]Pachuca sits at an altitude of [b]2,432m[/b], significantly higher than Johannesburg, but boasts a cool summer climate with high rainfall and occasional hail. The warmest month is May, with an average high of 24°C and a low of 9°C.[/p][p]Bafana will stay at the [b]Camino Real Pachuca[/b], a five-star hotel surrounded by gardens and forest and situated 5km from Pachuca, the capital and largest city of the east-central Mexican state of Hidalgo.[/p][p]Pachuca is located about [b]90 kilometres north of Mexico City[/b] via Mexican Federal Highway 85, meaning easy travel for Bafana to get to their opening game against Mexico at the Estadio Azteca on June 11.[/p]