Bafana Bafana will play in the opening match of the 2026 Fifa World Cup against co-hosts Mexico in a repeat of what happened in 2010 at FNB Stadium.

Bafana and Mexico were drawn in tricky Group A with Korea Republic and the winner of the European qualifiers to take place early next year during the draw held at the Kennedy Center in Washington on Friday.

It will be a match filled with lots of emotions because it takes Bafana coach Hugo Broos back to Mexico where he represented Belgium at the 1986 World Cup.

Broos will join a distinguished list that includes Mário Zagallo (Brazil), Franz Beckenbauer (Germany), Didier Deschamps (France) and Milorad Arsenijević (Yugoslavia) who played and coached at the tournament.

Before the draw, US President Donald Trump won the inaugural Fifa Peace Prize.

Venues and kickoff times will be announced in another globally broadcast event on Saturday, though even that is subject to adjustment in March once the six playoff qualification spots have been filled.