Canada secured a place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 16 for the first time in the men’s team’s history after Stephen Eustáquio scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner to seal a 1-0 victory over South Africa in Los Angeles on Sunday.

With extra time looming, Eustáquio struck from the edge of the penalty area deep into added time, sending Canadian players and supporters into celebration and ending South Africa’s impressive World Cup campaign.

The victory marks Canada’s first-ever win in the knockout stages of a men’s FIFA World Cup and continues a remarkable tournament for Les Rouges, who have surpassed all previous World Cup performances.

Captain Alphonso Davies made his long-awaited tournament debut after recovering from injury, entering the match as a substitute in the 75th minute. His introduction injected fresh energy into Canada’s attack as the North Americans increased the pressure during the closing stages before Eustáquio finally found the breakthrough.

South Africa defended resolutely for much of the contest and created several opportunities of their own, but were unable to find a way past the Canadian defence. Bafana Bafana’s elimination ends a memorable World Cup run after becoming one of the standout African teams in the group stage.

Canada will now face either Morocco or the Netherlands in the Round of 16 on July 4 in Houston, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake.

The result also represents another milestone for Canadian football. After enduring decades without a World Cup victory and suffering six consecutive defeats across previous appearances, the national team has now reached the last 16 for the first time and established itself among the tournament’s surprise packages.

The win sparked celebrations among Canadian supporters both in Los Angeles and at fan festivals across Canada, where thousands watched Eustáquio’s late strike secure one of the country’s most significant achievements in men’s football.

For South Africa, the defeat ends an inspiring campaign that captured the imagination of football fans across the African continent. Although Bafana Bafana fell just short of the Round of 16, their performances throughout the tournament highlighted the continued rise of African football on the global stage, with a record number of African nations reaching the knockout rounds of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The FIFA World Cup Round of 32 continues on Monday evening with two knockout matches in Afghanistan time. Brazil face Japan from 9pm and  Germany takes on Paraguay at 12.30am. Both winners will advance to the Round of 16. 

The Netherlands’ clash with Morocco will be played from 5.30am Kabul time, with the winner set to face Canada in the last 16. 

Fans can tune in to all three matches to watch all the thrills and spills unfold live and exclusively on Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN).

The group stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 has officially concluded, with the tournament now shifting into the high-stakes knockout round where every match becomes do-or-die.

The Round of 32 gets underway today, with one of the tournament’s biggest surprise stories taking centre stage as South Africa face co-hosts Canada at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

While traditional football powerhouses such as Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, England and the Netherlands safely progressed to the knockout phase, this year’s expanded 48-team tournament has also produced one of African football’s greatest World Cup campaigns.

For the first time in tournament history, nine African nations have qualified for the knockout rounds, underlining the continent’s growing strength on football’s biggest stage.

Morocco once again demonstrated why they remain one of Africa’s elite sides, finishing second behind Brazil in Group C with seven points after an impressive campaign that included a draw against the five-time world champions.

Ghana also lived up to expectations by advancing from a difficult Group L, while Senegal secured qualification from Group I after another composed and disciplined tournament.

However, the biggest headlines belonged to Africa’s emerging football nations.

South Africa completed one of the stories of the tournament by reaching the knockout rounds for the first time after defeating South Korea 1-0 in a dramatic final group match. Bafana Bafana, who were given little chance of progressing before the competition began, have become one of the World Cup’s surprise packages.

Ivory Coast also reached the last 32 for the first time after recovering from defeat to Germany with convincing victories over Ecuador and Curaçao.

Egypt booked their place after earning a crucial draw against Iran, while Algeria secured qualification following an entertaining 3-3 draw with Austria.

Cape Verde has perhaps captured the imagination of football fans more than any other African nation. The island nation remained unbeaten through the group stage, earning draws against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia to advance in their World Cup debut knockout appearance. Veteran goalkeeper Vozinha produced a series of memorable performances, including a standout display against Spain.

The Democratic Republic of Congo also made history, recording their first-ever World Cup victory with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan to secure a place in the knockout rounds.

Africa’s representatives now face a daunting but exciting set of Round of 32 fixtures. South Africa meet Canada in the opening knockout match on Sunday, Morocco take on the Netherlands, Ghana face Colombia, Ivory Coast battle Norway, DR Congo play England, Senegal meet Belgium, Algeria face Switzerland, Egypt take on Australia, and Cape Verde will test themselves against defending champions Argentina.

The knockout stage also features an impressive mix of football’s traditional heavyweights and emerging nations. Hosts Canada, Mexico and the United States all advanced, alongside Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, Spain, England, Belgium, Portugal, Colombia, Japan, Australia, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Paraguay, Ecuador, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Morocco.

With the safety net of the group stage now gone, every match will produce either jubilation or heartbreak. For Africa, however, the tournament has already become one to remember. Nine nations remain in contention, carrying not only their own ambitions but the hopes of an entire continent into the World Cup’s decisive rounds.

Fans across Afghanistan can tune in to Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) daily to watch this exciting event unfold as ATN has the exclusive rights to broadcast the event across the country live. 

Football fans are encouraged to follow Ariana Television and Ariana News’ social media pages for updates, latest stats and match schedules so as not to miss out on the action.

Lionel Messi continued his remarkable FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign by scoring his sixth goal of the tournament as Argentina defeated Jordan 3-1 to complete a flawless Group J campaign.

With qualification already secured, Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni rotated his squad heavily, making nine changes to the starting line-up. Messi began the match on the bench but still made his mark after coming on just after the hour, curling home a late free-kick to seal another convincing victory for the defending champions.

Argentina had already taken control before Messi’s introduction. Giovani Lo Celso opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a superbly struck free-kick before Lautaro Martínez doubled the advantage from the penalty spot after a VAR review awarded Argentina a spot-kick.

Jordan briefly threatened a comeback when Mousa Al-Tamari finished from close range shortly after halftime, but Argentina remained comfortable throughout. Messi’s trademark free-kick with 10 minutes remaining restored the two-goal cushion and completed a perfect group-stage performance.

The victory means Argentina finish top of Group J with nine points from three matches, having also defeated Algeria 3-0 and Austria 2-0. Messi has now scored in all three group matches, including a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace versus Austria, making him the tournament’s leading scorer heading into the knockout rounds.

Argentina will now face surprise package Cape Verde in the Round of 32 on 3 July in Miami. The African debutants, ranked 67th in the world, have exceeded expectations by reaching the knockout stage but now face one of the tournament favourites.

The reigning world champions have looked increasingly dominant despite squad rotation, with Scaloni able to call on impressive depth throughout his squad. Their blend of experience and attacking quality has strengthened their bid to become the first nation since Brazil in 1962 to successfully defend the FIFA World Cup title.

Backed by a passionate crowd of Argentina supporters in Texas, La Albiceleste once again showcased their quality and confidence as they head into the knockout stages carrying perfect momentum.