Jayden Adams, the 25-year-old South African footballer who represented his country at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, has died. The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder's body was found on Saturday morning at a house in the Schotschekloof suburb of central Cape Town, where police have opened an investigation. A cause of death has not yet been established, and his passing has prompted an outpouring of grief across South African football.

Adams featured in all three of South Africa's group matches at the tournament before the team, known as Bafana Bafana, were knocked out by Canada in the Round of 32. Born on 5 May 2001 in Mamelodi, he trained at Stellenbosch Football Club, where he became the club's first academy graduate to sign a professional contract, making his senior debut in August 2020, and later spent two seasons with the Mamelodi Sundowns. Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's minister of sport, arts and culture, called him "one of the brightest young talents" and appealed to the public to respect the family's privacy and refrain from speculation during the investigation.