2026 World Cup draw: Why Bafana Bafana are guaranteed to avoid African rivals

South Africa are among the nine teams that qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada from June 11 to July 19.

The Hugo Broos' men topped Group C with 18 points, beating the likes of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and Benin to the automatic slot. 

Bafana Bafana have now qualified to play in the prestigious global competition, and they will represent Africa alongside Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia and Cape Verde who are making their debut.

Take me back to Mbombela!!!!
In case you have forgotten, siyaya!!!#BafanaPride@flysaa @SABC_Sport pic.twitter.com/wX1GeyNVTW

— Bafana Bafana (@BafanaBafana) October 16, 2025

When is the 2026 World Cup Draw?

The 2026 World Cup draw will be conducted on Friday, December 5, at 17h00 GMT, 12h00 EST, which is 19h00 South African Time.

It is during this day that Bafana Bafana will know the group and the teams they will be playing against.

Where is the 2026 World Cup Draw?

Africa to the World. 🌍

9️⃣ of the very finest represent us at the 2026 #FIFAWorldCup, do they become 10? 👀 pic.twitter.com/27D2sn1TRP

— CAF_Online (@CAF_Online) October 14, 2025

The World Cup draw will be held at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, with reports having it that President Donald Trump might be in attendance. 

By the time the draw is done, the four UEFA Playoffs winners and two inter-confederation playoffs winners will not be known. The fixtures are scheduled for March 2026.

How does the 2026 World Cup draw work?

Only one African side can keep their World Cup dream alive. Who will it be? 🌍

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) October 16, 2025

The 48 teams will be divided into 12 groups, each containing four nations, one from each of four draw pots.

The three host nations, the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will be placed in Pot One; Mexico have already been placed in Group A, Canada in Group B, and the USA in Group C. 

The following three Pots will be made up of the 12 best-ranked teams to ensure the pools are evenly balanced and that the best teams will be kept apart at least until the next round. 

Can Bafana Bafana face another African nation in the World Cup 2026 group stage?

No, Bafana Bafana cannot face another African nation during the World Cup 2026 group stage. This is because FIFA decided to keep nations from the same confederation, except UEFA, which has 16 teams, apart until the knockout rounds.