Visa Crisis Delays South Africa's Travel to Mexico Before World Cup

The departure of the South African national team's delegation to Mexico, which was scheduled for today, Sunday, has been postponed due to an issue related to obtaining visas for a large number of delegation members just a few days before the start of the 2026 World Cup.

According to reports, more than 20 individuals, including players and members of the technical and administrative staff, have not yet received the necessary visas for travel, even though some applications were submitted several months ago. This has led to the cancellation of the scheduled trip and a sudden postponement of the team's departure.

The South African national team was preparing to head to the Mexican city of Pachuca to hold their training camp ahead of facing Mexico in the opening match of the World Cup on June 11, as part of Group A.

The crisis sparked widespread anger within the country, with South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie describing the incident as "embarrassing and unfair to the players and coaching staff," calling on the local football association to submit an urgent report and hold those responsible for the crisis accountable.

For its part, the South African Football Association confirmed that it is working intensively to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, noting that the team will continue its training in Johannesburg until travel arrangements are completed.

This crisis comes at a very sensitive time, especially since the South African team was planning to arrive early in Mexico to acclimate to the high altitudes and weather conditions before starting their journey in the world championship.