Canada is continuing its historic run at the 2026 World Cup
For the first time in its history, Canada reached the World Cup knockout rounds. Now, after a tight 1-0 win over South Africa, Canada has reached the Round of 16 for the first ever time
Playing in Los Angeles, Canada made unwanted history by becoming the first host team to play a knockout game outside of its borders. That occurred due to a 2-1 Group B finale loss to Switzerland, where a draw would’ve kept the team inside Canada until the Round of 16
The home support was still present despite an obvious lack of red in the stands, and Canada had been favored to eliminate a South African side that also never made a World Cup knockout appearance until Sunday
The game started very end to end, with both teams hoping to secure an early goal inside the 15-minute phase. But once things settled, Canada became the more likely team to score
A few header chances on set pieces should’ve been turned in by Canada, but the desired goal didn’t come through. A late penalty shout on left-back Richie Laryea also didn’t stand
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The tempo slowed in the second half as both teams played more cautious. However, Alphonso Davies’ anticipated debut at this tournament changed the momentum in the 75th minute
Davies himself understandably looked rusty, as he struggled to complete take-ons on the left wing and his crosses lacked power and pace. But his presence helped open up the pitch and gave his Canadian teammates more confidence
The game-changing moment came in the second minute of five added minutes in the second half. A cleared cross by South Africa fell to midfielder Stephen Eustaquio right along the box. The veteran LAFC midfielder controlled it well with his chest before connecting with an exquisite strike
Canada held on from there for its historic win and came away as deserved winners. South Africa failed to deal enough threat in the box, and its crosses were usually claimed well by Maxime Crepeau
Canada ended the game with 1.32 expected goals across 12 shots, per data-tracking platform FotMob. South Africa had just 0.13 and nine total touches in Canada’s box despite having 58% possession. Center-back Mbekezeli Mbokazi concluded his breakout tournament on a positive note, however
Les Rouges will now meet the winner of Netherlands vs. Morocco, which is set for Monday. They will likely be heavy underdogs to make a shock quarterfinals berth, but good things can happen for host nations in the knockouts
That game will be held on Saturday, July 4
USMNT legend DaMarcus Beasley explains why he is confident that professional soccer in the United States, fueled by the momentum of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, is building an ecosystem that will enable the USMNT to win a global tournament in the future.
