World Cup 2026: Eustáquio's 92nd-minute strike sends Canada past South Africa

One swing of the boot in the 92nd minute

There are nights at the World Cup 2026 when patience is rewarded right at the death, and this was one of them. Canada beat South Africa 1-0 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, the only goal arriving from Stephen Eustáquio deep into stoppage time, in the 90+2nd minute, to break a contest that had threatened to drift into extra time.

The numbers tell the story of how it nearly didn't happen. South Africa actually saw more of the ball, holding 58 per cent of possession to Canada's 42, and they completed 467 passes to Canada's 298. But control of the ball never translated into control of the chances. South Africa managed just 0.13 expected goals (xG, a measure of chance quality) and created no big chances all night, while Canada carved out four big chances and registered 1.32 expected goals. Canada also forced seven shots on target to South Africa's solitary one, and the gulf in cutting edge eventually told. On a mild, partly cloudy afternoon under referee João Pedro Pinheiro of Portugal, the better-fashioned opportunities belonged to Canada, and in the end one of them landed.

How both sides lined up at SoFi Stadium

A second-half chess match decided after 90

South Africa signalled their intent at the interval, sending on T. Mbatha for R. Mofokeng at the start of the second half in search of more thrust. As the game tightened, the discipline frayed on Canada's side: N. Saliba was booked in the 54th minute and withdrawn five minutes later, with N. Sigur and L. De Fougerolles introduced in a double change around the hour mark. Sigur promptly picked up his own yellow card in the 67th minute, a sign of just how niggly the midfield battle had become.

Canada's bench did most of the talking thereafter. Jesse Marsch reshuffled again in the 70th minute, sending on T. Oluwaseyi for P. David and J. Shaffelburg for L. Millar, before A. Davies replaced T. Buchanan in the 75th. South Africa answered with their own late roll of the dice, bringing on I. Rayners for E. Makgopa and T. Moremi for T. Maseko in the 86th minute. Just as the tie seemed destined for stalemate, Eustáquio found the decisive moment in the 90+2nd minute, the goal that turned a goalless grind into a Canadian win.

The community backed Canada — and the score nearly nailed it

This was a result the futbol.so community had largely seen coming. The consensus leaned firmly towards Canada, and the official forecast agreed, making Canada the most likely winners ahead of the draw and South Africa. So the headline outcome matched the mood.

The scorelines were where it got interesting. The most popular community prediction was a 2-1 Canada win, and fans in Argentina leaned the same way. Colombia's followers, though, went one step further and called the exact result: South Africa 0, Canada 1. Austria's contingent were the outliers, fancying a narrow South Africa win. In reality, Canada got the job done by the slimmest margin — vindication for those who trusted the underlying numbers over South Africa's share of possession.

Video highlights

Ronwen Williams Save | South Africa 0-1 Canada

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Sudáfrica vs Canadá (0-1) | Resumen y goles | Highlights Copa Mundial de la FIFA 2026™

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Highlights | South Africa 0-1 Canada | FIFA World Cup 2026™

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FIFA WC 2026 | South Africa - Canada 0:1 | (plej-of ) | 28.06.2026.

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Résumé : AFRIQUE DU SUD - CANADA, PREMIER 16e de FINALE de l'HISTOIRE de la COUPE du MONDE !

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South Africa 🆚 Canada #FIFAWorldCupOnYT #shorts #worldcup

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Eustáquio al 92', Canada agli ottavi | Sudafrica-Canada 0-1 | FIFA World Cup | DAZN Highlights

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Round of 32 Reaction ⚽ Canada ELIMINATES South Africa from the World Cup | ESPN FC

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Post-Match Player Interviews: South Africa 0-1 Canada

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HUGE Penalty Appeal! Was it the right call? South Africa v Canada

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HIGHLIGHTS - South Africa vs Canada | Late, late, late DRAMA! | FIFA World Cup 2026

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World Cup: South Africa vs Canada

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For Canada, Jesse Marsch's side, it is a win earned the hard way and dragged out of nothing in the final seconds — the kind of result that can define a tournament run. South Africa will rue a night when the ball was theirs but the chances were not, their lone shot on target a damning summary of an attack that never clicked. With the Round of 32 behind these two, the focus now turns to the next stage and whether Canada can build on a result that flattered neither their possession deficit nor their composure when it mattered most.