Bafana Bafana supporters are eagerly anticipating the 2026 FIFA World Cup draw, which takes place in the USA on Friday evening.
Last week, FIFA announced the final pots for the 48 teams participating in the World Cup.
These pots are determined by the FIFA men’s world rankings. The three host countries, the United States, Canada, and Mexico are placed in pot one, along with the nine highest-ranked teams.
The remaining teams are divided into pots two, three, and four, with pot four containing the playoff winners from both the UEFA playoff path and the inter-confederation playoffs.
Which teams could Bafana face in the World Cup draw?
Since Bafana is in pot three, they are guaranteed to be matched with teams from pots one, two, and four. The ideal scenario for Hugo Broos’ team would be to draw alongside co-hosts Canada, as well as Iran and Haiti.
With the current squad, Bafana could potentially finish at the top of the group and face an easier opponent in the round of 32.
Another favourable World Cup draw for Bafana would include Spain, Australia, and Jordan. The worst-case scenario would involve facing Argentina, Croatia, and Italy.
What time is the draw?
The draw will be conducted at 18:00 SA Time. Live coverage of the Final Draw for the FIFA World Cup 2026 will be available on FIFA.com and the FIFA World Cup social media channels
Pot 1: Canada, Mexico, USA, Spain, Argentina, France, England, Brazil, Portugal, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany
Pot 2: Croatia, Morocco, Colombia, Uruguay, Switzerland, Japan, Senegal, IR Iran, Korea Republic, Ecuador, Austria, Australia
Pot 3: Norway, Panama, Egypt, Algeria, Scotland, Paraguay, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire, Uzbekistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa
Pot 4: Jordan, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Curaçao, Haiti, New Zealand, European Play-Off A, B, C and D, FIFA Play-Off Tournament 1 and 2.
