Bafana Bafana Star Jayden Adams Dies at 25, Weeks After World Cup Debut
South African football is in mourning after the death of Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana midfielder Jayden Adams, who has died at the age of 25. His death was confirmed on Saturday, July 11, by the South African Football Players Union, his clubs, and the country’s Sports Ministry, just weeks after he represented South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Cape Town Central police say they opened an inquest after a body was found at a property in Schotsche Kloof on Saturday morning. The cause of Adams’s death has not been made public, and officials have asked the media and public to avoid speculating while investigations continue.
Adams had only recently returned from North America, where he played a key role in South Africa’s historic run to the World Cup Round of 32, the country’s first time advancing out of the group stage. He started two of Bafana Bafana’s three group games, against Mexico and Czechia, and came on as a substitute in the win over South Korea that sealed their qualification. He didn’t feature in the Round of 32 loss to co-hosts Canada.
Breaking news
Mamelodi Sundowns and Bafana Bafana star Jayden Adams has died at the age of 25.🕊 pic.twitter.com/A1M8hzoFrO
— MDN NEWS (@MDNnewss) July 11, 2026
His football journey
Adams came through the youth academy at Stellenbosch FC, becoming the club’s first academy graduate to sign a professional contract. He went on to make 139 senior appearances for the club and helped them win the 2023 Carling Knockout Cup.
He moved to Mamelodi Sundowns in January 2025, where he added a Betway Premiership title and a CAF Champions League title to his trophy cabinet in under two years. He was also part of the Bafana Bafana squad that won bronze at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations.
SAFPU said Adams’s death had robbed the country of “a gifted player, a proud servant of the game and a young life that still had so much to offer,” and praised his humility and the pride he took in representing his country.
Mamelodi Sundowns called it a “tragic passing” and asked for the family’s privacy to be respected. Stellenbosch FC said Adams left “a lasting legacy” at the club. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie extended condolences to Adams’s family, including his young daughter, teammates, and the football community. FIFA president Gianni Infantino also sent condolences on behalf of the global football community.
Adams’s death has struck a nerve well beyond football, coming so soon after he helped write South Africa’s most successful World Cup chapter yet. May he rest in peace.