World Cup fans and players in the United States awoke to the news that South Africa midfielder Jayden Adams, who had played in three of his team's games just a few weeks ago, suddenly passed away at the age of 25. The players that took to the field on Saturday paid tribute to the fallen star.
Prior to kickoff between England and Norway for their World Cup quarterfinal game, FIFA initiated a moment of silence for the teams, officials and fans to observe in honor of Adams' memory.
It wasn't one of those awkward moments of silence where you could hear plenty of voices in the crowd either. Some fans at the stadium noticed that just about all of the 60,000 fans in attendance were completely silent for the full minute to honor Adams.
"Impressive, the minute of silence in memory of Jayden Adams, a South African player who passed away and who had recently competed in this World Cup. Absolute silence from more than 60,000 fans!" one user on X noted.
© Hannah Mckay-Reuters via Imagn Images
A Brilliant Career Cut Short
Adams went pro in 2020 as a teenager at Stellenbosch in South Africa, where he quickly became a starter and went on to appear in 139 games across all competitions and scored seven goals over six seasons.
He moved to Mamelodi Sundowns in 2024, appearing in 65 games and scoring another six goals, culminating in leading the team to the CAF Champions League title just two months ago.
At the international level, Adams earned his first cap for Bafana Bafana in 2022 and made 13 total appearances for his home country, scoring two big goals in FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Benin.
South Africa went on to finish second in Group A, securing their first-ever trip to the World Cup knockout stage, where they were eliminated by Canada.
Sadly, on Saturday morning he was found dead by authorities in South Africa.
Our hearts go out to Adams’ family and loved ones.
