Prior to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, South Africa last appeared on soccer’s biggest stage when it hosted the tournament in 2010.

That year was memorable for a few reasons: being the first African nation to host the World Cup, Siphiwe Tshabalala’s stunning opening goal against Mexico and, of course, the ever-present vuvuzelas. But despite those highlights—and a famous 2-1 win over France in its final group game—South Africa exited at the group stage as one of the worst host nations in World Cup history .

Having also bowed out in the group stage in its previous appearances in 1998 and 2002, expectations aren’t high for 2026, especially given the lack of top-tier talent in the current squad.

Still, the unpredictability of its qualifying campaign, combined with a history of surprising World Cup results (like the 2–2 draw with Paraguay in 2002), means it shouldn’t be written off before a ball is even kicked.

The Road to the World Cup

Qualification record : 5W-2L-3D

Goals for / against: 15 / 9

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