Canada Secures Historic Knockout Win with Last-Gasp Goal Against South Africa
Stephen Eustaquio's dramatic 92nd-minute winner sends co-hosts Canada into the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in their history.
The story
The FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout stage kicked off with a thrilling encounter at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium) as co-hosts Canada edged out South Africa 1-0 in the Round of 32. The match remained a tense stalemate for over 90 minutes, with both teams creating chances but failing to break the deadlock.
South Africa, making their first-ever appearance in the knockout phase, displayed resilience, but it was Canada who found the decisive moment. In the 92nd minute, midfielder Stephen Eustaquio unleashed a perfectly struck shot from the edge of the box, finding the bottom corner and sparking jubilant celebrations.
This dramatic late goal secured Canada's first-ever advancement to the Round of 16, setting up a clash with the winner of the Netherlands vs. Morocco match.
Yesterday's results
| Match | Score | Key |
|---|---|---|
| Canada vs South Africa | 1-0 | Stephen Eustaquio's 92nd-minute winner at Los Angeles Stadium. |
Where it stands
The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage has concluded, and the tournament has now entered the thrilling single-elimination Round of 32. Co-hosts Canada made history by securing their first-ever spot in the Round of 16 with a dramatic 1-0 victory over South Africa.
The field of 48 teams has been narrowed down to 32, comprising the 12 group winners, 12 runners-up, and the eight best third-placed teams. Teams like Mexico (Group A winner), Brazil (Group C winner), USA (Group D winner), France (Group I winner), and Argentina (Group J winner) have all advanced. The knockout bracket is now set, with each team knowing their potential path to the final.
Off the pitch
| Player | From | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pascal Struijk | Leeds | Brighton | around £20m |
| Jonah Kusi-Asare | Bayern Munich | Fulham | undisclosed |
| Ben Godfrey | Atalanta | Rangers | loan with option to buy |
What we'll be watching
- Brazil vs Japan, Round of 32, June 29 (NRG Stadium, Houston)
- Germany vs Paraguay, Round of 32, June 29 (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough)
- Netherlands vs Morocco, Round of 32, June 29 (Estadio Monterrey, Monterrey)
- Ivory Coast vs Norway, Round of 32, June 30 (AT&T Stadium, Arlington)
- France vs Sweden, Round of 32, June 30 (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford)
- Mexico vs Ecuador, Round of 32, June 30 (Estadio Azteca, Mexico City)
Reporting + analyst voices: grounded via Google Search at publish time.