South Africa · Group A · FIFA #60
South Africa World Cup 2026 squad: every player, position by position
South Africa carry a 26-man squad into World Cup 2026, drawn from Group A with their opening fixture against Mexico on 11 Jun 2026. Below: the full roster sorted by position, face wall, and squad breakdown.
Verified squad·ESPN, single source·as of 2026-06-15 04:10 UTC
Baseline facts
- FIFA rank
- No. 60
- Group
- Group A
- Squad
- Full squad list →
South Africa squad: face by face
Ronwen Williams
GK
Aubrey Modiba
DEF
Olwethu Makhanya
DEF
Bradley Cross
DEF
Lyle Foster
FWD
Thapelo Maseko
FWD 6 of 26 players carry a free-licensed photograph; the rest show a monogram until one is available. Photographs from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own free licence.
Squad profile
- 26.3avg age
- 20youngest (Mbekezeli Mbokazi)
- 36oldest (Themba Zwane)
Position counts from the provisional ESPN roster. Ages at the data verification date.
Can South Africa qualify from Group A?
The top two teams in each group advance directly to the round of 32. The eight best third-placed finishers also go through, giving South Africa a meaningful safety net. Group A standings and South Africa's specific qualification scenarios are tracked live on the group page.
Latest South Africa news
Full squad list
| # | Player | Position | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ronwen Williams | Goalkeeper | 34 |
| 16 | Sipho Chaine | Goalkeeper | 29 |
| 22 | Ricardo Goss | Goalkeeper | 32 |
| 2 | Thabang Matuludi | Defender | 27 |
| 3 | Khulumani Ndamane | Defender | 22 |
| 6 | Aubrey Modiba | Defender | 30 |
| 14 | Mbekezeli Mbokazi | Defender | 20 |
| 18 | Samukele Kabini | Defender | 22 |
| 19 | Nkosinathi Sibisi | Defender | 30 |
| 20 | Khuliso Mudau | Defender | 31 |
| 21 | Ime Okon | Defender | 22 |
| 24 | Olwethu Makhanya | Defender | 22 |
| 26 | Bradley Cross | Defender | 25 |
| 4 | Teboho Mokoena | Midfielder | 29 |
| 5 | Thalente Mbatha | Midfielder | 26 |
| 11 | Themba Zwane | Midfielder | 36 |
| 13 | Sphephelo Sithole | Midfielder | 27 |
| 23 | Jayden Adams | Midfielder | 25 |
| 7 | Oswin Appollis | Forward | 24 |
| 8 | Tshepang Moremi | Forward | 25 |
| 9 | Lyle Foster | Forward | 25 |
| 10 | Relebohile Mofokeng | Forward | 21 |
| 12 | Thapelo Maseko | Forward | 22 |
| 15 | Iqraam Rayners | Forward | 30 |
| 17 | Evidence Makgopa | Forward | 26 |
| 25 | Kamogelo Sebelebele | Forward | 23 |
Source: ESPN roster. Provisional until the FIFA registration deadline. Club affiliations are not in the verified roster feed; we do not list them here.
Group A fixtures
| Opponent | Date | Match page |
|---|---|---|
| Mexico | 11 Jun 2026 | South Africa vs Mexico |
| Czechia | 18 Jun 2026 | South Africa vs Czechia |
| South Korea | 25 Jun 2026 | South Africa vs South Korea |
FIFA World Ranking
South Africa are ranked 60 in the FIFA Men's World Ranking , the 40th highest-ranked of the 48 teams at the tournament. Ranking as of 1 April 2026, per FIFA via Wikipedia.