Bafana Bafana face Mexico in the FIFA World Cup 2026 opener on Thursday, June 11, with kick-off set for 21:00 SAST at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
Hugo Broos’ side returns to the World Cup for the first time since 2010, opening Group A against co-hosts Mexico in front of more than 80,000 supporters.
South Africa enter the match as underdogs, ranked 60th in the FIFA world rankings, while Mexico sit 15th.
Korea Republic (25th) and Czechia (41st) complete Group A. Bafana will need points from their opener to keep knockout qualification hopes alive.
The World Cup opening ceremony begins at 19:30 SAST, with Tyla singing the South African national anthem before kick-off. Shakira and Burna Boy headline the ceremony, debuting the official tournament song, Dai Dai.
See the full FIFA match schedule for all tournament fixtures.
What time is Bafana Bafana playing today
Fixture: Mexico vs South Africa
Date: June 11, 2026
Kick-off: 21:00 SAST
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
Competition: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A
The opening ceremony begins at 19:30 SAST, 90 minutes before kick-off. Gates open four hours prior.
Where to watch Bafana vs Mexico in South Africa
South African fans can watch the match live across multiple platforms:
Free-to-air television: SABC 1, SABC 3, SABC Sport
Pay television: SuperSport (DStv channels 201, 202, 203, 235)
Live streaming: SABC Plus, DStv Stream, SportyTV app
Radio: Live commentary across major SABC Radio stations, with isiZulu and Sesotho options available on SuperSport
Read the full Bafana vs Mexico match guide for line-ups and broadcast details.
Bafana’s road back to the World Cup
South Africa qualified for the 48-team tournament after a 16-year absence.
The expanded format gave more African nations a path to the finals, but Bafana’s group draw placed them against two top-25 sides and a European opponent ranked 19 places higher.
Mexico enter the opener unbeaten in recent fixtures and carry strong home advantage. The fixture repeats the 2010 World Cup curtain-raiser between the two nations, which ended in a 1–1 draw.
Siphiwe Tshabalala scored South Africa’s first goal of that tournament before Rafael Márquez equalised.
Group A standings and knockout path
The top two teams from each group advance automatically, alongside the eight best third-placed teams – a newly introduced round of 32 knockout stage. That means even a single win could keep South Africa alive deep into July.
Bafana face Korea Republic and Czechia after the Mexico opener. Full fixture dates will be confirmed post-match.
Visa delay and pre-tournament disruption
Bafana’s preparations faced a setback when a visa bungle nearly grounded the squad before departure. The team arrived in Mexico City on schedule despite the administrative delays.
Follow NOWinSA’s full World Cup coverage for post-match analysis and Group A updates.
