KZN woman turns heads at the 2026 FIFA World Cup
All eyes are usually on the footballers during a soccer match, but every now and again, a spectator briefly steals the show.
A woman from KwaZulu-Natal is making headlines after her appearance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup drew online attention.
Thato Mokone was one of thousands of South Africans who filled up the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, U.S.A., to watch Bafana Bafana take on Czechia.
Wearing traditional attire and carrying a shield bearing the SA flag, Mokone turned heads wherever she went.
The KZN beauty was asked for selfies from strangers, and when the camera zoomed in on her during the match, social media users from all over the world started talking.
"Every day, a beautiful woman is being discovered in the midst of the crowd. Loving this," a Brazilian X user wrote.
Another soccer fan from the South American country wrote: "When she passed by, I was hypnotised."
A third remarked: "She is so beautiful that she seems to have been sculpted by the Gods themselves."
READ: Meet the KZN players eyeing World Cup glory with Bafana Bafana
Someone said: everyday a beautiful woman is discovered in the crowd.
— 🇿🇦Noms🇿🇦 (@noms_minmats) June 21, 2026
Love it! https://t.co/mq1X1AUf9B
Who is Thato Mokone?
Mokone hails from KZN and attended Greytown High School. She was known as Thato Zondi to her classmates.
Mokone is proud of her Zulu and Pedi roots, and often shares pictures of herself wearing traditional attire.
She also attended the uMkhosi woMhlanga (Royal Reed Dance) on several occasions, including in 2021, where she met King Misuzulu ka Zwelithini.
According to her Instagram bio, she is based between Greytown and Pretoria. She is currently based in America.
Mokone says she is overwhelmed by all the love she has received following her World Cup appearance.
"I flew black to New York from Atlanta with a full heart. I got so much love from all over the world, especially from RSA," she wrote on her Instagram Story.
She added in another post: "FIFA World Cup 2026 in Atlanta. I showed up for South Africa and made it count."
South African fans continue to show their love for her on social media, with many saying she made South Africa proud. Here's a look at what some of them had to say.
-Living your best life! Showing the world how beautiful and fun it is to be South African.
-You really represented us, babe…. Such beauty! I’m soooo proud of you, sis!
-You did us so much justice. Thank you.
-Our GOURGEOUS ambassador. Thank you for representing us.
South Africa will face South Korea this week in their third and final Group A match.
Which South African queen will steal the spotlight this time?
Image credit: Instagram/@thatgirlthato