Bafana Bafana head home. Canada reaches World Cup round of 16 for the first time in history

The Canadian national team has achieved a historic milestone at the 2026 World Cup, advancing to the round of 16 for the first time ever. In the round of 32, Canada edged out South Africa 1-0 thanks to a stoppage-time goal.

The only goal of the match came in the 90+1st minute, when Stephen Eustáquio delivered a dramatic winner to send his team into the next round. For South Africa, the defeat was especially painful: the team conceded the decisive goal in the dying moments and saw their tournament run come to an end.

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This is a historic first for Canada—never before has the national team reached the round of 16. Remarkably, this is just the third World Cup appearance in the country's history.