South Africa and Canada open the World Cup last 32 in Los Angeles
Two sides reaching the World Cup knockout stage for the first time meet at SoFi Stadium, with a place in the round of 16 on the line.
Jun 28, 2026
The 2026 World Cup’s knockout rounds begin with two teams stepping somewhere neither has been. South Africa and Canada meet at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles in the first match of the last 32, both reaching the knockout phase for the first time in their World Cup history. The winner moves into the round of 16, and the loser goes home from a tournament that has already outdone anything either had managed before.
Indian viewers will need to stay up for the curtain-raiser. Kick-off is 12:30am IST in the early hours of Monday.
South Africa break new ground
Hugo Broos took his side into the tournament chasing a first knockout appearance and came away with it. Bafana Bafana lost their opener 2-0 to co-hosts Mexico, Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez doing the damage, then drew 1-1 with Czechia, Teboho Mokoena answering Michal Sadilek’s early goal with a late penalty.
The breakthrough came on June 24. Thapelo Maseko struck just after the hour against South Korea, and the 1-0 win sent South Africa into the World Cup knockouts for the first time, second in Group A behind Mexico. They arrive in Los Angeles without Themba Zwane, who is in line to miss this match as the last game of a three-match ban for the red card he picked up against Mexico.
Canada carry record-breaking form
Jesse Marsch’s Canada opened with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then delivered the result of their group. They thrashed Qatar 6-0, Jonathan David scoring a hat-trick with Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba also on target and a Qatar own goal finishing the rout. It was the biggest win a CONCACAF nation has managed at a men’s World Cup.
A 2-1 loss to Switzerland in the final group game cost Canada top spot, but their goal difference carried them through in second, ahead of Bosnia. Marsch has injuries to weigh. Ismael Kone broke his leg in the Qatar win and has had surgery that ends his tournament, while Alphonso Davies, the first-choice left-back, has yet to feature as he works back from a hamstring problem, with some suggestion he could make the bench here.
A first competitive meeting
The two have met only once, a 2007 friendly that South Africa won 2-0, so this is fresh territory in more ways than one. The data models make Canada slight favourites, yet there is little in it between sides still finding out how far this run can stretch. For the winner there is a first World Cup knockout victory to claim, and a place in the last 16 to go with it.