During last Wednesday, June 24, the selections of Canada and South Africa achieved their first qualification to the final phase of a World Cupafter finishing in second position in their respective groups, so now they will face each other in the match that will inaugurate the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.
The canucks They said goodbye to Canadian territory after finishing second in Group B, below Swissso they will have to play their first match of the World Cup 2026 outside Canada and face the South Africans at SoFi Stadium, located in the city of Los Angeles, California, 2,500 kilometers from toronto.
For its part, after starting on the left foot in the opening match against Mexicothe Bafana Bafana They recovered in the last two days and, after rescuing a draw against Czech Republic and get a victory against South Koreathey added the points enough to secure second place, behind the host.
The winner of this key will classify for the first time the round of 16 of a World Cup and must face the winner of the match between the second place of the Group C (Morocco) and first place in the Group F (Netherlands, Japan or Sweden), so there could be a tie with two teams africans high level.
Canada vs. South Africa in Los Angeles
The South African and Canadian teams will meet next Sunday June 28at 1:00 p.m. of Guatemala, at the SoFi Stadium, located in Los Angeles, California, which will be the first match of the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, where the Canadians will seek to avoid being the first hosts eliminated in this edition.
However, before this commitment, the president of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosacongratulated his team for qualifying for the round of 32 for the first time, after beating South Korea in Monterrey, Mexico: “Congratulations on reaching the World Cup qualifiers for the first time,” said the South African politician.
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“South Africa showed an inspired performance, with discipline in defense and precision in attack. We remain united and hopeful under our flag. One nation. A dream. A goal,” added the 73-year-old president, who praised the work of the Belgian coach Hugo Broos and highlighted the collective performance of the South African team.
“It was a memorable night for South African football. The team showed courage, determination and confidence, and made people feel proud the nation on the world stage. South Africa celebrates together. Congratulations, Bafana Bafana. The journey continues“said Cyril Ramaphosa, who celebrated his country’s result with messages on social networks.
They seek to give the big surprise
Although South Africa survived the group stage for the first time in its history, the Canadian team is also experiencing a historic tournamentbecause he scored his first point, he got his first victory and qualified for the first time to the knockout phase of the World Cup, where Mexico and the USA historically they have been the most strong of the region.
Faced with this scenario, the first direct elimination duel of the 2026 World Cup looks even and will guarantee an unprecedented fact: the winner will reach the round of 16 for the first time. Therefore, the selection you qualify will become one of the big surprises of this World Cup, one of the most unpredictable of history.
Opponent confirmed: we’ll meet South Africa in Los Angeles in the Round of 32#CANMNT pic.twitter.com/3iudZtHnE8
— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) June 25, 2026