South Africa Makes History at World Cup 2026

On June 25, 2026, South Africa's national football team, the Bafana Bafana, made a historic achievement by securing their first qualification for the knockout stage of the World Cup. They surprised many by defeating South Korea in a decisive match held in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, on June 24, 2026. Despite a shaky start in the tournament, the South African team displayed strength, discipline, and realism, raising questions about how far they could go in the competition.

In contrast, the host nation Mexico continued their perfect run in the tournament by earning a 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic, ensuring their progression to the Round of 16 at the iconic Azteca Stadium. As the tournament progressed, the Mexican team began to Dream bigger, fueled by the support of their home crowd.

Brazil topped their group with a strong performance, aided by a splash of flair from star player Neymar, while Morocco also secured their place in the knockout phase, finishing behind Brazil despite a vibrant win against Haiti.

In another part of the tournament, Ivory Coast faced a critical match against Curaçao. Following a solid performance despite a loss to Germany, the Ivorian team found themselves needing to win against Curaçao to secure their advancement.

Meanwhile, Senegal faced a precarious situation as they prepared to take on Iraq. Announced as potential outsiders in the tournament, the Senegalese team found themselves in a do-or-die scenario, needing a comprehensive victory to ensure their survival in the competition amidst rising criticisms back home.

This edition of Radio Foot Internationale featured insights from experts Annie Gasnier, Patrick Juillard, Franck Simon, David Lortholary, and Marco Martins, with the editor-in-chief David Fintzel overseeing the production.