Canada Defeats South Africa to Reach FIFA World Cup Round of 16 for the First Time

In the first knockout match held at the Los Angeles Stadium, Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 to advance to the Round of 16, marking their debut in this stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Co-host Canada secured its spot in the tournament’s pre-quarterfinals. In injury time, Stephen Eustáquio scored the decisive goal, propelling Canada to the World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in its history.

Canada will now face the winner between Morocco and the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. The game remained goalless until the 90th minute, when Stephen’s injury-time strike sealed Canada’s historic victory. Although South Africa dominated ball possession throughout the match, they were unable to convert their chances into goals.

South Africa faltered in finishing, while Stephen was named Player of the Match for his game-winning contribution. Playing in their third World Cup, Canada had previously been eliminated in the group stage twice. With this loss, South Africa missed out on the opportunity to reach the quarterfinals for the first time. Canada advanced from Group B in second place, while South Africa entered the knockout phase as runners-up from Group A.