Canada beat South Africa to reach Round of 16

Canada booked its place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday after scoring a dramatic late winner against South Africa in their Round of 32 match at Los Angeles Stadium in the United States.

Canada controlled much of the first half and created the better scoring opportunities, although defenders Derek Cornelius and Moïse Bombito were unable to convert promising chances. At the other end, South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams made several crucial saves to keep Bafana Bafana level.

It was a closely contested match against a resilient South African side, but Canada remained the more threatening team after the break. South Africa adopted a cautious approach throughout the second half and finished the game with an expected goals (xG) figure of just 0.13, struggling to create clear scoring opportunities.

The decisive moment came in stoppage time when the ball fell kindly to Stephen Eustaquio on the edge of the penalty area. The midfielder fired a powerful shot into the bottom corner in the 90+2nd minute to give Canada a dramatic victory.

Neither nation had previously advanced beyond the opening stage of a FIFA World Cup, but Canada's late winner secured a historic place in the Round of 16. They will now face either the Netherlands or Morocco for a place in the quarter-finals.

Stabil.Az