During the afternoon of last Sunday, June 28, the selection of Canada defeated 1-0 South Africa in the first match of the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. With this result, those led by the coach Jesse Marsch They managed, for the first time in their history, to qualify for the round of 16 of a World Cup.
The match, played in SoFi Stadiumof Californiawas defined by a goal from the Los Angeles FC midfielder, Stephen Eustáquio in the last minutes. Given this situation, most of the match was played in the middle of the field, where the midfielders Both teams fought for possession and control of the ball.
Faced with this scenario, the fans present in Los Angeleswho expected a better match between Canadians and South Africans, they decided entertain with the traditional wavea practice usual in stadiums around the world, in which fans from all locations participate in a popular freak synchronized.
Although it became popular worldwide during the World Cup Mexico 1986there are antecedents of this movement in the stages of USA at the end of the decade 1970where spectators stood and raised their arms in sequence to create a visual wave that ran through the entire gallery of the venues.
The viral video of the 2026 World Cup
At the beginning of the second half of the match between Canada and South Africa, in Los Angeles, California, after the Belgian technical director Hugo Broos replaced Relebohile Mofokeng with Thalente Mbatha, the fans at SoFi Stadium began to make the traditional wave in the venue with capacity for 70 thousand spectators.
However, one of the cameras at the Los Angeles stadium captured the moment when a woman, with her black camisole As a visitor to the Canadian team, he participated in the traditional sports wave and, by standing up and raising his arms to create a visual wave, he launched his cellular phone onto the playing field before the eyes of those present.
Given the circumstances, the match between Canada and South Africa, at the beginning of the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, left a comic viral image in the stands of SoFi Stadium, in Los Angeles, California, as the face of the Canadian and her hands trying to cover her face, in a desperate gesturethey say it all.
The recording of a few seconds that was broadcast on international television was made viral on social networks and other digital platforms, because it showed the distress of the woman for the lost phone, before the surprise and the solidarity of those around her. However, it has not been reported if he managed to recover it, although it is expected that he will.
— Out Of Context Football (@nocontextfooty) June 28, 2026
Viral reactions on social networks
“There goes the cellular phone of the Canadian lady,” he said during the transmission the Uruguayan sports network commentator DSportswho added: “You have to imagine going to the worse match of this 2026 World Cup and drop your cell phone.” Although it may have been worse to the person on whom the device fell.
In this context, dozens of Internet users also they criticized the traditional wave in World Cup stadiums, therefore, although some consider it a tradition of joy, excitement and fan participation around the world, others believe it is bothers and that many people just want to enjoy the game sitting in their seat.
— Michael Checksum (@MichaeICheckum) June 28, 2026