Stephen Eustáquio broke a scoreless deadlock deep into stoppage time to give Canada a 1-0 victory over South Africa on Sunday in the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup’s newly expanded Round of 32. Playing on home-continent soil at Los Angeles Stadium, the Canadian men’s national soccer team officially secured the first knockout-stage win in their history.
The decisive strike arrived in the 92nd minute just as the match appeared destined for extra time. Eustáquio gathered a deflected loose ball on the edge of the penalty area and drove a right-footed shot past South African goalkeeper Ronwen Williams. The late breakthrough finally dismantled a South African defensive block that had frustrated the co-hosts all evening, immediately following the crucial return of Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, who missed the group stage with a hamstring injury and entered in the 74th minute.
Canada dominated the statistical breakdown with a 12-6 shot advantage and a 1.32 to 0.13 expected goals margin. South Africa absorbed that heavy offensive pressure for 90 minutes behind a highly disciplined formation. Aubrey Modiba kept the game scoreless with a first-half goal-line clearance, supported by a series of last-ditch blocks from Simphiwe Mbokazi that earned Bafana Bafana global praise for their resilient defensive display.
Jesse Marsch’s squad now advances to the Round of 16 to face the winner of the upcoming tie between the Netherlands and Morocco. Hugo Broos and his South African squad exit the tournament following a hard-fought defensive campaign.