Bafana Bafana will be setting the tone of what will be a historic and memorable 2026 World Cup in the Americas when they take on co-hosts Mexico on Thursday night at the iconic Azteca Stadium.
The stadium brings with it a lot of nostalgia because that is where Bafana coach Hugo Broos played in the opening game of the World Cup in 1986 as a central defender for Belgium. Unfortunately, Broos was on the losing side, with a 2-1 defeat. As the coach of Bafana, he will hope to get his revenge on Thursday night.
But coming to the tournament itself, arguably the biggest sporting event in the world and certainly the most elite football competition, the 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted across three countries for the first time in its history.
The US, Canada and Mexico would have welcomed some of the biggest football stars in the world and the 48 football nations that will be competing for the 18-karat gold prestigious World Cup trophy.
Like any other major competition, there will be names of favourites thrown around, surprise packages that will win the hearts of the world and possibly one or two stars who will show up and set the scene alight.
The Favourites:
Argentina might be the defending champions and have Lionel Messi on their team but they have not been spoken about a lot as favourites to retain their title.
Back-to-back World Cup finalists France will undoubtedly be one of the top picks to reach the final of the tournament and possibly win it.
In 2018, France went on to lift the World Cup but fell short in 2022, losing to Argentina on penalties.
Brazil will always have its name in the favourites’ hat because with five titles — more than any other country — they form part of the World Cup heritage.
Brazil will have a massive boost with Neymar back in the team and will play a huge role in helping the Selecao back to the top.
Similar to Les Bleus, Portugal has one of the strongest squads in the tournament, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, English Premier League Player of the Season Bruno Fernandes and Uefa Champions League-winning duo Vitinha and Nuno Mendes all in the mix.
Who are the dark horses?
Morocco were the undisputed dark horse at the previous World Cup.
This year will be no different. They will be looking to pick up from where they left off and surprise many.
Japan is another exciting side that always makes it out of the group stages, having reached the Last 16 of the World Cup two times in a row.
They are expected to achieve the same feat — or fare even better — this year.
Norway will be one of the teams to look out for.
This year’s World Cup edition makes it their first appearance in 28 years since France 1998.
With the amount of exciting talent like midfield maestro Martin Odegaard and goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland, Norway is tipped to surprise many teams.
Stars to look out for in the Americas
In every World Cup, there will always be one or two stars who will keep spectators on the edge of their seats and jaws dropped with individual brilliance.
Spain’s wonderkid, Lamine Yamal, will be one to keep an eye on in the tournament.
At the age of 18, Yamal has established himself as one of the greatest players in the world and will surely be in the Ballon d’Or conversation if Spain go all the way to win the World Cup.
Brazilian youngster, Endrick, and Portugal’s midfield duo, Vitinha and Bruno Fernandes, are among the players expected to rise to the big occasion.
How far can Bafana Bafana go at the World Cup?
Bafana have been drawn in a tricky Group A alongside Mexico, the Czech Republic and South Korea.
With the new format of the World Cup allowing the eight best third places from the 12 groups, Bafana will fancy their chances of being one of those eight teams.
If Bafana start strong with a draw against the hosts and perhaps beat either Czech or Korea, that will be enough to secure a spot in the knock-out rounds. They need only four points to achieve that feat, which is attainable, if Broos’s men don’t stutter on the global stage.
- Bafana Bafana will kick off the 2026 World Cup in the Americas.
- Their first match is against co-host Mexico.
- The game will take place on Thursday night.
- The venue is the iconic Azteca Stadium.
- The event is described as historic and memorable for the tournament.
Bafana Bafana will be setting the tone of what will be a historic and memorable 2026 World Cup in the Americas when they take on co-hosts Mexico on
But coming to the tournament itself, arguably the biggest sporting event in the world and certainly the most elite football competition, the 2026 World Cup will be co-hosted across three countries for the first time in its history.
Like any other major competition, there will be names of favourites thrown around, surprise packages that will win the hearts of the world and possibly one or two stars who will show up and set the scene alight.
Argentina might be the defending champions and have Lionel Messi on their team but they have not been spoken about a lot as favourites to retain their title.
Back-to-back World Cup finalists France will undoubtedly be one of the top picks to reach the final of the tournament and possibly win it.
In 2018, France went on to lift the World Cup but fell short in 2022, losing to Argentina on penalties.
Brazil will always have its name in the favourites’ hat because with five titles — more than any other country — they form part of the World Cup heritage.
Brazil will have a massive boost with Neymar back in the team and will play a huge role in helping the Selecao back to the top.
Similar to Les Bleus, Portugal has one of the strongest squads in the tournament, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo,
Who are the dark horses?
Morocco were the undisputed dark horse at the previous World Cup.
Japan is another exciting side that always makes it out of the group stages, having reached the Last 16 of the World Cup two times in a row.
Norway will be one of the teams to look out for.
Stars to look out for in the Americas
In every World Cup, there will always be one or two stars who will keep spectators on the edge of their seats and jaws dropped with individual brilliance.
Spain’s wonderkid, Lamine Yamal, will be one to keep an eye on in the tournament.
At the age of 18, Yamal has established himself as one of the greatest players in the world and will surely be in the Ballon d’Or conversation if Spain go all the way to win the World Cup.
Brazilian youngster,
How far can Bafana Bafana go at the World Cup?
Bafana have been drawn in a tricky Group A alongside Mexico, the Czech Republic and
If Bafana start strong with a draw against the hosts and perhaps beat either Czech or Korea, that will be enough to secure a spot in the knock-out rounds.
