World Cup LIVE: Last-gasp goal sees Canada overcome South Africa to reach last 16

Updated
Canada's Stephen Eustaquio and Alistair Johnston celebrate after reaching the last 16
Canada's Stephen Eustaquio and Alistair Johnston celebrate after reaching the last 16IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters / Kirby Lee

The group stage at the 2026 World Cup is now over, and that means it's time for the real drama to begin with the Round of 32 starting this evening as Canada take on South Africa in Los Angeles.

Today's matches:

Canada 1-0 South Africa (FT)

Live updates:

07:45 CET - Good morning to our European audiences! In case you missed it last night, we have our first last-16 participant at the World Cup confirmed with Canada edging South Africa 1-0 thanks to a last-gasp winner in the first of the Round of 32 games on Sunday.

Later today, the second round continues with three huge matches to enjoy this evening! We will have a new live tracker up and running from those ones, but here is the upcoming schedule:

Brazil vs Japan - 19:00 CET

Germany vs Paraguay - 22:30 CET

Netherlands vs Morocco - 03:00 CET

Follow day 19 at the World Cup here!

Brazil vs Japan (video preview)
Flashscore

03:13 CET - Let's sign off our World Cup tracker with the news that South Africa's boss, Hugo Broos, is going to take his time in deciding what his future will look like.

Read the full article here.

We will be back later this morning with more from this thrilling tournament.

22:58 CET - Co-hosts Canada are into the last-16 of the World Cup for the very first time after a last-gasp Stephen Eustaquio strike has seen them edge to a 1-0 victory over South Africa.

Canada had never reached the knockouts in their history before, and a rare piece of quality from Eustaquio in a match devoid of ideas has kept their dream alive.

It is heartbreak for South Africa, but simply put, they never looked like scoring. They had just one shot on target. Meanwhile, Canada will now face either the Netherlands or Morocco next!

Match stats
Match statsOpta by StatsPerform

22:52 CET - OH MY WORD, CANADA HAVE SURELY WON IT NOW IN THE 92ND MINUTE! The first real bit of quality of the match has come from midfielder Stephen Eustaquio, who has struck home superbly from the edge of the penalty area. The players are going wild.

Canada's Stephen Eustaquio (R) celebrates scoring
Canada's Stephen Eustaquio (R) celebrates scoringREUTERS / Lisi Niesner

22:37 CET - Some great news for Canada fans: Captain Alphonso Davies has come on to make his first appearance at the World Cup. Can he make the difference for the co-hosts?

22:28 CET - The second hydration break is here, and Canada are knocking on the door as they desperately attempt to find a crucial opener. However, no success, as South Africa defend with their bodies on the line.

Momentum graph
Momentum graphOpta by StatsPerform

22:05 CET - And we are back underway for the second half!

21:48 CET - It is half time in Los Angeles, and neither team can be separated. It was a pretty dull 45 minutes, but Canada had a big shout for a penalty on the cusp of the break which has left them very unhappy. 

Half-time stats
Half-time statsOpta by StatsPerform

21:24 CET - A chorus of boos can only mean one thing: the first hydration break is here! The game remains locked at 0-0, and there hasn't been too much to write home about, with both teams struggling for chances.

Momentum graph
Momentum graphOpta by StatsPerform

21:00 CET - And we are now underway as Canada and South Africa look to reach the last 16!

20:05 CET - The teams are in ahead of the first Round of 32 match, and the big news is that Canada captain Alphonso Davies is still not fit enough to start, and he remains on the bench against South Africa.

Team line-ups
Team line-upsFlashscore

17:30 CET - We are closing in on kick-off for the first of the Round of 32 matches at the World Cup, with Canada taking on South Africa in Southern California from 21:00 CET this evening!

To get you primed for the clash, take a look at some of our best preview content below:

Why Ronwen Williams could be the difference for South Africa

Promise David seeking to be Canada's secret weapon in knockouts

South Africa vs Canada (video preview)
Flashscore

14:31 CET - The knockout rounds are now here, so we have created a Team of the Group Stage, using our new player ratings system. It is certainly star-studded, with the likes of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise all included.

Check that article out now!

Team of the Group Stage
Team of the Group StageFlashscore

13:00 CET - Well, we've made it to the knockouts, and now 'only' 32 teams remain at the 2026 World Cup, but not for long. And that's because it's all do or die from here on in, with the tournament set to whittle down to just 16 by the end of next week.

After a few hugely action-packed days to end the group stage, we have a bit of breathing space now, with just one match all evening. And that sees World Cup co-hosts Canada taking on South Africa in Southern California.

The Canadians surrendered their home advantage by failing to top Group B, but they are still alive and will fancy their chances against a Bafana Bafana side that were diabolically bad in their opening two matches before somehow edging South Korea to progress against the odds.

Live winning probability
Live winning probabilityOpta by StatsPerform

The fact that South Africa are still at the World Cup might surprise even their own fans... But here they are, and they too will be counting their lucky stars for managing to avoid one of the top teams in the second stage, even if they will be underdogs again this evening.

Kick-off is at 21:00 CET, and as ever, you will be able to follow every kick with our live audio commentary via the link at the top of the page.

In case you missed it, catch up on all of yesterday's action with our daily highlights, or relive all of the drama as it unfolded in our day 17 live tracker!

FIFA World Cup 2026

The 2026 World Cup is taking place from June 11th to July 19th in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The tournament features 48 national teams and is played at 16 modern stadiums.

Match schedule and times | Group tables | How to watch the World Cup | World Cup Format | Past winners of the World Cup