Bradley Cross is a South African footballer who plays for Kaizer Chiefs. A left-back who can also play in central defence, he developed at Bidvest Wits, Schalke 04 and Newcastle United before establishing his senior career in South Africa.
He joined Chiefs from Golden Arrows in September 2024 and was selected for South Africa’s 2026 FIFA World Cup squad.
Last reviewed: 2 November 2026. Career dates, international milestones and statistics are linked to their sources below.
Bradley Cross at a glance
| Name | Bradley Cross |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 30 January 2001 |
| Age | 25 on 2 November 2026 |
| Birthplace | Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa |
| Nationality | South African |
| Club | Kaizer Chiefs |
| Position | Left-back; also centre-back |
| Chiefs squad number | 48 |
Age and background
The German Football Association’s World Cup squad record lists Cross’s birth date as 30 January 2001. He turned 25 in January 2026. Kaizer Chiefs’ signing announcement identifies his birthplace as Kempton Park.
Development at Schalke and Newcastle
Cross’s European development began with a two-year loan from Bidvest Wits to Schalke 04, where he played at under-19 level. Newcastle United then announced his arrival on 16 October 2020, following a successful trial.
The Newcastle announcement specified a two-year academy deal and a place in the under-23 squad. It also recorded his experience with South Africa’s under-20 team. These were development-team roles; describing them simply as senior Premier League or Bundesliga experience would give the wrong impression.
In that interview, Cross described himself as a left-footed centre-back who enjoyed building attacks from defence. His later move to left-back is reflected in Chiefs’ description of his role.
Maritzburg United and Golden Arrows
Maritzburg United announced Cross among three signings on 12 January 2023. FARPost’s report of the club announcement confirms that he joined on a permanent deal.
After Maritzburg’s relegation, he moved to Golden Arrows in July 2023. Sowetan’s contemporary report records his unveiling alongside four other recruits. He spent the 2023/24 league campaign with Arrows before moving to Chiefs.
Kaizer Chiefs career
Chiefs announced Cross’s signing from Arrows on 3 September 2024. The club’s announcement specified a four-year contract and identified him as a left-back who could also cover centre-back.
The official senior-team page continues to list him as defender number 48 at the time of this review. A dated example of his role appears in Chiefs’ 10 May 2026 team announcement, which placed him on the left of the back four against Sekhukhune United.
His first Chiefs season included the club’s 2025 Nedbank Cup victory. Chiefs beat Orlando Pirates 2–1 in the final on 10 May 2025. The official final report does not list Cross in the match-day squad, so this was a team achievement during his time at the club, rather than a final he played in.
South Africa and the 2026 World Cup squad
Hugo Broos named Cross in South Africa’s 26-player World Cup squad on 27 May 2026. CAF’s announcement identified Cross and Olwethu Makhanya as uncapped selections at that point.
Cross made his senior international debut two days later, appearing as a second-half substitute in the 0–0 friendly against Nicaragua at Orlando Stadium on 29 May 2026. TimesLIVE’s match report confirms the debut. A national-team call-up, a debut and a World Cup match appearance are separate milestones; squad selection alone does not establish that he played at the tournament.
Selected league statistics
The following completed-season figures are listed by Flashscore’s player record, checked on 2 November 2026. They cover domestic top-flight league matches only.
| Season | Club | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023/24 | Golden Arrows | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024/25 | Kaizer Chiefs | 19 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025/26 | Kaizer Chiefs | 22 | 0 | 1 |
Cup, continental, international and academy matches are excluded. These figures should not be combined with Newcastle’s Premier League 2 record and presented as a senior league total.
