South Africa's Ministry of Sport announced on Saturday the death of Jayden Adams, the midfielder of the national football team, who played in all three of his team's group stage matches at the 2026 World Cup. The cause of death of Adams, 25, who started in the team's first two group matches against Mexico and the Czech Republic, and came on as a substitute in the match where his country won 1-0 over South Korea, which secured the team's first-ever qualification to the knockout stages, was not disclosed. Adams played for South African club Mamelodi Sundowns and helped the team win the African Champions League title in the 2025-2026 season. The South African Football Players' Union, the official body representing players in the country, said in a statement: 'South African football has lost a talented player, one dedicated to the sport, and a young man whose career was still full of promise.' Also, Gayton McKenzie, South Africa's Minister of Sport, expressed his condolences. McKenzie said in a statement: 'The country shares the grief of the player's family, his teammates, and millions of fans, who followed his journey from a promising player in his club's academy to an international player for the national team.' Sundowns and the South African Football Association did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Adams trained at the Stellenbosch FC academy in South Africa and joined Sundowns in January 2025. He made his international debut against Mozambique in 2022, and played in 13 international matches, scoring two goals, both in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.