Prior to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, South Africa last appeared on soccer’s biggest stage when it hosted the tournament in 2010.
That year was memorable for a few reasons: being the first African nation to host the World Cup, Siphiwe Tshabalala’s stunning opening goal against Mexico and, of course, the ever-present vuvuzelas. But despite those highlights—and a famous 2-1 win over France in its final group game—South Africa exited at the group stage as one of the worst host nations in World Cup history.
