South Africa’s men’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, is delayed before leaving the country for the 2026 FIFA World Cup due to visa problems. Multiple reports say the team’s departure from South Africa is held back as players and officials wait for visas related to entry into Mexico, where the tournament is being held. The delay pushes back the team’s travel by about a day, with the squad eventually arriving in Mexico ahead of its opening match. The team is scheduled to play hosts Mexico in the tournament opener on 11 June, which is repeatedly identified as the first game for South Africa in the competition. Outlets describe the situation as a “visa debacle” or a visa delay, with one report characterizing it as embarrassing, but all accounts focus on the same core issue: administrative or consular processing of visas delays the delegation’s departure. After the visas are resolved, the team proceeds to Mexico as planned for the start of the tournament week.