South Africa – The FIFA World Cup Trophy tour has arrived in South Africa. On Friday, January 30, President Cyril Ramaphosa of the Republic of South Africa (RSA) was present at the Union Buildings in Pretoria to welcome this esteemed title in global football.
Bafana Bafana, the South African National Men’s Football Team, has secured a spot in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada.
They are set to play the tournament’s opening match on June 11 at Estadio Azteca against Mexico. The last encounter between Bafana Bafana and Mexico was ironically the opening match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup held at Soccer City, also known as FNB Stadium, where Siphiwe Tshabalala, a legend of Kaizer Chiefs, scored the memorable opening goal of the tournament.
This goal ignited excitement not only in South Africa but across the African continent and the world. Although Tshabalala has since retired, his goal for Bafana, a goal for Africa, will be remembered for generations to come.
The last appearance of Bafana Bafana in a World Cup was in 2010 when South Africa hosted the event for the first time on African soil. The previous qualification for the FIFA World Cup without automatic entry or hosting privileges occurred in 2002. It has been 24 years since South Africans last witnessed their national team qualify for the World Cup, highlighting the long-standing desire for this achievement.
Bafana Bafana will compete against the hosts Mexico and South Korea in Group A of the tournament, with the fourth team to be determined after the playoff.
With the FIFA World Cup Tour currently taking place in South Africa, one can envision the excitement and the warm reception it has garnered. On Friday, the esteemed title in the world made its way to Pretoria, and on Saturday, January 31, it was publicly displayed at the Johannesburg Expo Center. On Sunday, it will be showcased at Battery Park, V&A Waterfront from 10:00 to 18:00.
In Pretoria, at the Union Buildings, President Ramaphosa and the Minister of the Department of Arts, Sport and Culture, Gayton McKenzie, were among the invited guests. Football legends, including former Bafana Bafana players, government officials, and members of the current Bafana Bafana World Cup squad gathered in eager anticipation as the most sought-after prize in world football was unveiled during the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour by Coca-Cola.
The atmosphere was filled with jubilation as the trophy, which is seldom seen and even more rarely touched, was revealed and presented to President Ramaphosa—one of the few individuals worldwide authorized to physically handle the Original Trophy.
Addressing the media, President Ramaphosa said that, “It’s really a joyful moment to be here at the Union Buildings. I’m rather glad that we brought the cup here to the Union Buildings… We have unveiled and touched it. It feels very good. It’s got a nice touch and feel to it.”
On Friday evening, while delivering the keynote address at the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour Gala Dinner held at the Sandton Convention Centre, Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture McKenzie stated, “We pause to honour football’s place in South Africa’s journey.”
He characterised the presence of the World Cup Trophy as a symbol of how football has provided hope during times of hardship, dignity in the face of exclusion, and pride when the global community ultimately arrived at our shores.
“This is not nostalgia,” he said, “but remembrance, and a renewed belief in what is still possible.”
