With just seven days remaining until the start of FIFA World Cup 2026 in Mexico City, teams are putting the final touches on their preparations – including the kits that will be worn throughout the tournament.
FIFA has officially released the planned match colours for all 72 group-stage fixtures that will be played across the United States, Canada and Mexico, providing supporters with a first glimpse of how the competing nations will take to the field.
Bet With The Best. World Sports Betting
Correct match kits
Behind the scenes, equipment managers from all 48 participating countries are working to ensure players have the correct match kits ready for football’s biggest spectacle.
FIFA generally prefers teams to wear their traditional first-choice colours whenever possible.
However, when potential clashes arise between competing teams, a detailed process is followed to determine suitable alternatives.
The governing body considers the colours of both teams’ outfield kits, goalkeeper kits and even the match officials’ uniforms before making a final decision.
Whenever possible, FIFA aims to create a clear contrast between dark and light-coloured kits to improve visibility for players, officials, broadcasters and supporters, particularly those with colour-vision deficiencies.
As a result, Bafana Bafana will not wear their green ‘away’ jersey in any of their three Group A matches.
In their opener against Mexico, Bafana Bafana will wear their yellow home kit, combined with yellow shorts and socks. This is to create a clear distinction from their opponents Mexico, who will wear a green home shirt, white shorts, and red socks.
In their second match against the Czech Republic, Bafana Bafana will run out in their traditional colours of a yellow jersey, green shorts, and yellow socks.
For their final group stage match against South Korea, Bafana Bafana are the ‘home’ team and will once again appear in their full yellow kit.
Competition badge
In addition to the team colours, every kit worn during the tournament will feature the official FIFA World Cup 2026 competition badge on the right sleeve.
The left sleeve will carry a special social impact campaign badge, with different messages displayed throughout the tournament.
During the group stage, teams will wear the “Unite for Peace” badge, highlighting FIFA’s global campaign promoting peace and unity through football.
The focus will then shift to “Unite for Education” during the Round of 16, quarter-finals and semi-finals.
The newly expanded round of 32, along with the bronze-medal match and final, will feature the “Football Unites the World” badge.
Squad numbers
FIFA has also confirmed that squad numbering regulations remain unchanged, with players allocated numbers 1 to 26.
No 1 will be reserved exclusively for a goalkeeper, as stipulated in the tournament regulations.
FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the largest in history, featuring 48 nations and 104 matches across three host countries, ushering in a new era for the global game.
Bafana Bafana’s Group A FIFA World Cup 2026 fixtures
- Thursday, 11 June: Mexico vs South Africa, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City – 21:00 (SA time)
- Thursday, 18 June: Czech Republic vs South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta – 18:00 (SA time)
- Thursday, 25 June: South Africa vs South Korea, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe – 03:00 (SA time)
DIARISE | Full FIFA World Cup 2026 calendar: All 104 games and dates
