CHICAGO (May 27, 2026) – Chicago Fire FC and the South Africa Football Federation today announced that defender Mbekezeli Mbokazi has been named to the South Africa Men’s National Team for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Mbokazi is the sixth player to be named to a World Cup roster as an active player of the Fire, joining Jorge Campos (1998), Josh Wolff and DaMarcus Beasley (2002), Xherdan Shaqiri (2022), and Chris Brady. It is the first appearance on a World Cup roster for the 20-year-old, and the first time a player has been named to the South Africa roster for a World Cup as an active member of the Chicago Fire. He is also the first active Fire defender to be named to a World Cup roster.
Bafana Bafana was drawn into Group A along with hosts Mexico, Korea Republic and Czechia. Hugo Broos’ squad will kick off the entire tournament, playing in the opening match against Mexico at 2 p.m. CT on Thursday, June 11, in a repeat of the opening match of FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa. Bafana Bafana will then travel north to take on Czechia at 11 a.m. CT on Thursday, June 18, at Atlanta Stadium in Atlanta, Ga, before closing out group play against Korea Republic at 8 p.m. CT on Wednesday, June 24, at Monterrey Stadium in Monterrey, Mexico.
The defender joined the Chicago Fire in December 2025 and has registered 1,050 minutes and has started all 12 regular season matches in which he has played for the Club so far in 2026. Mbokazi has made 14 appearances across all competitions for the Men in Red, also participating in the 2026 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Mbokazi has 10 caps for the South Africa team, quickly staking a claim on the Bafana Bafana backline and becoming a stalwart in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches, the Africa Cup of Nations and several international friendlies. Mbokazi has registered one goal with South Africa, scoring in a 2-1 loss against Panama on Tuesday, March 31 at DHL Stadium in Cape Town, South Africa.
He made his senior national team debut in May 2025 in a 2-0 win against Mozambique. Part of Broos’ squad that advanced to the Round of 16 at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, the young defender played the full 90 in all four of South Africa’s matches, taking the field against Angola, Egypt, Zimbabwe and Cameroon.
