History will be made this Sunday when Canada and South Africa meet at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California for their first-ever FIFA World Cup knockout match. The Round of 32 clash begins at 3 p.m. ET on June 28, marking a monumental moment since neither nation has previously advanced past the group stage in men’s World Cup history.
Canada’s Unforgettable Group Stage Journey
Canada’s path through Group B was filled with dramatic highs and lows. The team secured their first-ever point at a senior men’s FIFA World Cup with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina. They then achieved their first World Cup victory with a stunning 6-0 demolition of Qatar, where Jonathan David scored a hat-trick. Despite falling 2-1 to Switzerland in their final group match, Canada finished second in Group B and advanced to the knockout stage.
The victory over Qatar came at a painful cost when midfielder Ismaël Koné suffered a broken leg, ruling him out for the remainder of the tournament. Coach Jesse Marsch later admitted he missed an opportunity to top the group and should have made tactical adjustments at halftime.
Major Team Updates Before Sunday
1. Alphonso Davies will be fit to play for his first appearance at this World Cup after recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during a Champions League semifinal in early May.
2. Davies was initially used as a decoy against Switzerland, with coach Jesse Marsch dressing him to make opponents worry without intending to play him.
3. With Davies returning to push high on the left and Jonathan David leading the line, Canada will press aggressively from the front.
South Africa’s Surprise Tournament Run
South Africa’s journey to the knockout stage was anything but smooth. After a 2-0 opening loss to Mexico where two players received red cards, an early exit seemed inevitable. However, Bafana Bafana regrouped with a draw against Czechia and delivered their biggest performance against South Korea. Thapelo Maseko’s 63rd-minute strike catapulted them above their opponents into the knockout stage for the first time in their history.
Canada enters ranked 30th globally by FIFA, while South Africa sits at 60th. Though rankings suggest a clear advantage for Canada, knockout soccer rarely respects such distinctions.
What Victory Means for Canadian Soccer
For Canadian soccer fans, this match represents more than a single result. Canada has appeared in only two World Cups in history—1986 and 2022—without ever winning a knockout match. A victory on Sunday would become the most significant result in Canadian men’s soccer history.
Captain Stephen Eustáquio captured the team’s mindset after the Switzerland loss: “That’s a good sign, that fact that we are sad and mad about this result. We’re ready for whatever’s next”.
Whatever comes next is South Africa. The match kicks off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on TSN and CTV. Don’t miss this historic opportunity.
