Investigation underway into passing of former South African World Cup player Jayden Adams

Police in South Africa have initiated an investigation into the sudden death of Jayden Adams, a 25-year-old Bafana Bafana midfielder, just two weeks after his team made history by reaching the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time.

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Adams' body was found on Saturday at a property in Cape Town's Schotsche Kloof neighbourhood, with the authorities confirming that the circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation, and no cause of death has been established yet.

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The Cape Town central police have registered an inquest for investigation, following the discovery of the 25-year-old male's body on Saturday, according to a statement released by the police.

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Juanito Adams, the father of the deceased, stated that the family is awaiting the outcome of an autopsy before making funeral arrangements, and expressed that the family is struggling to come to terms with the loss, saying it won't be easy to move on.

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Adams had played in all three of South Africa's group-stage matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, contributing to the team's historic qualification for the knockout rounds, but did not participate in the team's 1-0 defeat to Canada in the Round of 32 on June 28.

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South Africa's Minister of Sports, Gayton McKenzie, has urged the public to refrain from speculation while the investigation is ongoing, and also shared that Adams had demonstrated remarkable resilience by playing against the Czech Republic just hours after learning of his grandmother's death.

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Tributes have been pouring in for the midfielder, with moments of silence observed before the World Cup quarter-final matches between England and Norway and Argentina and Switzerland on Saturday.

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The authorities have not announced a release date for the results of the post-mortem examination, which is currently being conducted to determine the cause of Adams' death.