World Cup 2026: Canada’s Late Victory Eliminates South Africa

Stephen Eustáquio’s late second‑half strike gave Canada a 1‑0 victory over South Africa in the first match of the World Cup’s Round of 32, propelling Les Rouges into the next stage, CNN reports.

This marks Canada’s inaugural knockout‑round win, and they became the first World Cup co‑host to contest an elimination match abroad.

The match remained tense, with Canada finding it difficult to breach South Africa’s solid defense. The Canadians repeatedly had shots cleared from the line and appeared to dominate much of the game.

Nonetheless, South Africa posed threats on counterattacks several times, frustrating the Canadians.

Eustáquio delivered a moment of brilliance, striking a loose ball into the corner of the South African goal during second‑half injury time.

The game also held historic significance as the first round‑of‑32 match in World Cup history, coinciding with the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams for the first time.

Canada’s next opponent will be either Morocco’s Atlas Lions or the Netherlands in the round‑of‑16 match on July 4 in Houston.

James Agberebi

James is a sport content creator and also does analysis on sports. Also, James has covered international matches involving both Nigeria’s men and women national teams. Facebook : James Agberebi