Canada vies to make more history in FIFA World Cup knockout match vs. South Africa

Canada’s World Cup success is inspiring young athletes, fueling dreams, and growing excitement for soccer across the country. Adrian Ghobrail reports.

Canada will look to keep its historic World Cup run alive Sunday when it takes on South Africa in the round of 32 in Los Angeles.

The matchup will mark the first time each nation has reached the tournament’s knockout phase.

The Canadians earned a spot by finishing second in Group B following a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina, a 6-0 thumping of Qatar and a 2-1 loss to Switzerland in round-robin play.

South Africa started its tournament with a 2-0 loss to Mexico before improving with a 1-1 draw against Czechia and upsetting South Korea 1-0 to claim the runner-up position in Group A.

Bafana Bafana came into the tournament sitting 60th in FIFA’s rankings while Les Rouges held the No. 30 spot.

Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsch has said captain Alphonso Davies will make his return from a hamstring injury in Sunday’s game, but also previously said he expected the star left back to play against Switzerland — a statement he later called “a decoy” intended to complicate his opponents’ game plan.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 27, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press