South Africa

South Africa, Bafana Bafana, hold a special place as the nation that brought the World Cup to African soil. Readmitted to international football after the end of apartheid in the early 1990s, the Rainbow Nation's team is a powerful symbol of unity and the spirit of the vuvuzela-fueled 2010 tournament.

South Africa hosted the 2010 World Cup, the first ever held in Africa — an iconic tournament remembered for the vuvuzelas and Siphiwe Tshabalala's thunderous opening goal. However, Bafana Bafana became the first host nation to be eliminated in the group stage. Their other appearances came in 1998 and 2002, also ending at the group phase. After missing several editions, South Africa qualified for 2026, their first successful qualifying campaign since 2002.