As the 2026 FIFA World Cup enters its final 11-day countdown, two participating national teams have been thrown into last-minute chaos by unexpected visa processing hold-ups, with South Africa the hardest hit so far. South Africa’s senior men’s national squad, popularly known as Bafana Bafana, was scheduled to depart Johannesburg for co-host nation Mexico on Sunday morning via a chartered flight, ahead of its tournament opening match on June 11. But the departure has been grounded indefinitely after the South African Football Association (SAFA) confirmed visa approvals for several players and team officials are still pending.