South Africa’s preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup have suffered a minor setback after visa-related issues forced the national team to postpone its scheduled departure to Mexico.
The squad had planned to travel on Sunday to its training camp in Pachuca, but administrative complications involving travel documentation delayed the journey by 24 hours.
Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie confirmed that all players had eventually received the necessary visas required for transit through the United States, allowing the team to reschedule its departure for Monday. However, a few members of the backroom staff were still awaiting final clearance at the time of the announcement.
The delay sparked criticism from government officials, with concerns raised about the handling of travel arrangements so close to the start of the tournament. Football authorities have since been working to resolve the remaining issues and ensure the squad arrives in Mexico without further disruptions.
South Africa will be making its first World Cup appearance since hosting the tournament in 2010. Head coach Hugo Broos had hoped the team would arrive in Mexico as early as possible to adjust to the altitude and recover from long-distance travel before competition begins.
Pachuca, where the team will be based, sits at a significantly higher elevation than Johannesburg, making acclimatization an important part of the preparation process.
Before opening their World Cup campaign, South Africa are scheduled to play a friendly match against Jamaica as part of their final build-up.
The team begins its Group A journey on June 11 in Mexico City before facing the Czech Republic in Atlanta and South Korea in Monterrey later in the group stage.
The visa setback adds to a qualification campaign that already featured controversy. During the qualifying series, South Africa briefly faced uncertainty after fielding an ineligible player in a match against Lesotho, resulting in the loss of points from the fixture.
Despite that setback, the team managed to secure qualification by finishing ahead of rivals Nigeria and Benin in their group.
With travel arrangements now largely resolved, attention will shift back to preparations as South Africa aim to make a strong impression on football’s biggest stage.
