🇿🇦 South Africa

South Africa are a former host nation returning to the World Cup stage. A CAF side, they enter the 2026 World Cup rated 1680 — 38th of the 48 teams — in Group A.

Hosts of the 2010 World Cup and African champions in 1996. Quick and technical, with an emphasis on possession and movement.

Drawn alongside Mexico, South Korea and Czechia, their toughest group test on paper is the meeting with Mexico. Our model projects them to finish 4th in the group and to fall short of the knockout rounds.