Their World Cup journey began in 1998, followed by appearances in 2002, 2010 and now 2026. Across those three previous tournaments, South Africa have consistently reached the group stage but have never progressed further.
Their overall World Cup record stands at two wins, four draws and three defeats. While results have often been tight, they have struggled to convert competitive performances into knockout stage qualification.
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In front of goal, Shaun Bartlett and Benni McCarthy remain joint all time top scorers for South Africa at World Cups, with two goals each.
Bartlett also holds the record for most goals in a single tournament for Bafana Bafana, achieved in the 1998 edition.
McCarthy made history as the youngest South African to score at a World Cup, finding the net at 20 years and 218 days against Denmark in 1998.
At the other end of the spectrum, Lucas Radebe is the oldest South African scorer at a World Cup. He scored at 33 years and 61 days against Spain in 2002.
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One of the defining moments in South African football came in 2010, when the country became the first African nation to host a FIFA World Cup.
However, that historic achievement came with a difficult footnote, as South Africa became the first host nation since 1986 to be eliminated in the group stage.
Photo: Gallo Images/Foto24/Christiaan Kotze
