South African police have opened an inquest after the body of Jayden Adams, a 25-year-old midfielder who represented his country at the 2026 World Cup, was found at a property in the Schotsche Kloof neighbourhood of Cape Town on Saturday morning. Authorities have not released a cause of death and said the circumstances remain under investigation.

Adams’s father, Juanito Adams, told South African broadcaster eNCA that the family was awaiting autopsy results and described the death as “untimely”. Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie urged the public and media to refrain from speculation, while revealing that Adams had played a group-stage match against the Czech Republic only hours after learning of his grandmother’s death.

Adams featured in all three of South Africa’s group matches as the team reached the World Cup knockout phase for the first time, before being eliminated by co-hosts Canada. He was a member of the Mamelodi Sundowns side that won the 2026 CAF Champions League and had previously played for Stellenbosch FC. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Patrice Motsepe extended condolences to his family and the South African football association. Moments of silence were observed before the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.

His partner, Aqueelah Chloe Adendorf, posted a tribute on social media, writing that “a part of my heart went with you”. The police inquest remains open, and no date has been given for the release of post-mortem results.