epa07593442 (FILE) - Players of France celebrate with the World Cup trophy after the FIFA World Cup 2018 final between France and Croatia in Moscow, Russia, 15 July 2018, reissued 23 May 2019. Media reports state that Fifa, the soccer world governing body, has abandoned plans to expand the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams. (RESTRICTIONS APPLY: Editorial Use Only, not used in association with any commercial entity - Images must not be used in any form of alert service or push service of any kind including via mobile alert services, downloads to mobile devices or MMS messaging - Images must appear as still images and must not emulate match action video footage - No alteration is made to, and no text or image is superimposed over, any published image which: (a) intentionally obscures or removes a sponsor identification image; or (b) adds or overlays the commercial identification of any third party which is not officially associated with the FIFA World Cup) EPA/FELIPE TRUEBA EDITORIAL USE ONLY
The Fifa World Cup trophy will be coming to South Africa as excitement builds ahead of the global football tournament.
The 2026 Fifa World Cup is being co-hosted by the United States (US), Mexico, and Canada, with most matches taking place in the US.
Bafana Bafana
South Africans are also elated that Bafana Bafana will be returning to the tournament for the first time since 2010 after their 3-0 win over Rwanda in their final group match at the Mbombela Stadium in October last year.
Their journey to qualifying for next year’s edition was not an easy one, but coach Hugo Broos and his team did it against all odds.
READ MORE: Bafana Bafana reach World Cup wonderland
World Cup trophy
President Cyril Ramaphosa will on Friday, 30 January 2026, receive the original Fifa World Cup trophy during the Fifa World Cup Trophy Tour at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.
The Presidency said South Africa’s football story is “rooted in defining moments, from first qualifying in 1998, to hosting the 2010 FIFA World Cup”.
“After 16 years, South Africa has now qualified again for the Fifa World Cup, marking a powerful return to the global football stage.
“The trophy’s arrival represents hope, pride, memory, and momentum. It marks the symbolic beginning of South Africa’s return to the Fifa World Cup, a moment in which the future of South African football is placed, both physically and emotionally, into the hands of its people,” the Presidency said.
The Presidency said the trophy tour in South Africa “is more than a tour; it is a homecoming”.
Backlash over World Cup tickets
In December last year, Fifa unveiled a new cut-price ticket category following fan backlash over pricing for the 2026 tournament.
Football’s global governing body said it had created a limited number of “Supporter Entry Tier” tickets at $60 each for all 104 matches, including the final.
Announcing the $60 tickets, Fifa said that national federations “are requested to ensure that these tickets are specifically allocated to loyal fans who are closely connected to their national teams”.
Fifa also said that if fans bought tickets for games in the knockout rounds only to find their team eliminated at an earlier stage, they “will have the administrative fee waived when refunds are processed”.
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