The first match of the round of 32 at World Cup 2026 features two sides that played in the first and second game of the tournament, as South Africa take on tournament co-hosts Canada.
Both sides are featuring in the knockout rounds of a World Cup for the first time, so further history will be made for one.
It has been the tournament of the underdog so far, so few will limit their expectations as to how far they can go, including two sides that have already stolen one show each to reach this stage.
South Africa played in the opening game of the tournament, but were defeated by co-hosts Mexico.
The 2-0 reverse in Mexico City was followed by a 1-1 draw against Czechia, with Thapelo Maseko’s second-half penalty earning the point in Atlanta.
The crunch game came in Monterrey with a win needed against South Korea – Maseko scored the only goal to down the Asian giants and secure Bafana Bafana’s progress to the knockout stage in second spot in Group A.
Who: South Africa vs Canada
What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – round of 32
Where: Los Angeles Stadium in Los Angeles, United States
When: Sunday June 28, at 12pm (19:00 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT ahead of our live text commentary stream.
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