Bafana Bafana are among the first 13 nations to secure places in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after a historic 1-0 victory over South Korea in their final Group A match.
Thapelo Maseko’s second-half winner at Estadio Monterrey sealed South Africa’s first-ever qualification for the knockout stages of a FIFA World Cup and sparked celebrations among supporters across the country.
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Hugo Broos’ side finished second in Group A behind Mexico, who topped the group following a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic.
Seven out, 13 through
As the group stage enters its final stretch, 13 teams have already booked their places in the Round of 32.
They are Mexico, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Morocco, the United States, Germany, France, Norway, Argentina and Colombia.
At the same time, seven nations have seen their World Cup dreams come to an end.
The Czech Republic were eliminated from Group A, while Qatar, Haiti, Türkiye, Tunisia, Jordan and Panama have also exited the tournament.
Standout story
South Africa’s qualification marks one of the standout stories of the competition so far.
After opening with a defeat to Mexico, Bafana Bafana kept their hopes alive with a draw against the Czech Republic before producing a disciplined and determined performance to overcome South Korea.
Broos praised his players after the historic result.
“I think we played a very good game tactically. Everyone did their job and I’m very proud of the performance of my team,” said the South African coach.
Government also congratulated the national side, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the country and a reflection of the team’s determination, discipline and fighting spirit on football’s biggest stage.
Next match
Bafana Bafana will now turn their attention to a Round of 32 clash against co-hosts Canada in Los Angeles on Sunday, 28 June at 21:00 (SA time).
With more group-stage matches still to be played, the list of qualified and eliminated teams will continue to grow, but South Africa can already celebrate a landmark achievement as they prepare for the biggest knockout match in the nation’s World Cup history.
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