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South Africa's planned trip to Mexico for the 2026 FIFA World Cup was delayed after some players and officials faced visa-related problems, the South African Football Association (SAFA) said.
The national team had been expected to fly to North America on Tuesday, but the group could not travel as originally planned. The delay comes before South Africa's opening match of the tournament against co-host Mexico at Estadio Azteca on June 11.
In a statement, SAFA said the South African senior men's national team had run into visa challenges involving some members of the squad and delegation.
"The South African senior men's national team has experienced challenges regarding visas for some players and officials, and as a result, the group could not travel to North America this morning as originally planned," the federation said.
SAFA added that it was working to sort out the issue so the team could travel to Mexico City as soon as possible before the opening match.
South Africa is scheduled to face Mexico on Thursday, June 11, in the first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The match will take place at Estadio Azteca, one of the host venues in Mexico City. Mexico is one of the three co-hosts of the tournament, alongside the United States and Canada.
South Africa will compete in Group A with Mexico, South Korea and Czechia.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada and Mexico.
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