South Africa
At the first 48-team World Cup, hosted across USA, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July 2026. Drawn in Group A with Mexico, South Korea, Czechia.
South Africa vs the rest of Group A
FIFA ranks at draw time. Top two from the group advance directly to the Round of 32; the eight best third-place finishers across all 12 groups also progress.
South Africa's tournament path — the fantasy angle
South Africa's 3 group matches at a glance
Difficulty by pre-tournament FIFA rank delta. Acid means South Africa is the favourite; amber is a coin-toss; red means the underdog. Switches to actual-result colour once each match is played.
South Africa is FIFA #60. Group avg rank is #35 — 25 places weaker than the group mean — uphill draw.
South Africa's tournament 26
Source: football-data.org (FIFA registered squad). Acid dot · player's Premier League club. Updated daily.
South Africa's group-stage matches
| MD | Date | UTC | UK | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thu 11 Jun | 19:00 | 20:00 | |
| 2 | Thu 18 Jun | 16:00 | 17:00 | |
| 3 | Thu 25 Jun | 01:00 | 02:00 |
South Africa have no confirmed Premier League players in the tournament 26-man pool as of the 29 May 2026 PL.com article. Updated when the federation announces the final squad.
Why South Africa's tournament matters for FPL 2026/27
South Africa have no current Premier League regulars, but tournament breakouts are how next year's £4.5m budget enablers get identified. Worth tracking even if your FPL squad doesn't own anyone yet.
Pick South Africa stars in FIFA World Cup Fantasy
Use the Onside captain / differential / value picks to assemble a South Africa-heavy XI, then build it in the official FIFA game. In FIFA Fantasy, open the player list and filter by country = South Africa to surface every eligible name.
Onside is not affiliated with FIFA. We publish picks; you play them in the official game.
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