Canada Reaches FIFA World Cup Round of 16 for First Time

Kathmandu. Co-host Canada has achieved historic success in the FIFA World Cup 2026. In the exciting 'Round of 32' match held last night at the Los Angeles Stadium, Canada defeated South Africa 1-0 to enter the final 16 of the World Cup for the first time. Stephen Eustaqio became the hero of Canada's victory. He scored the goal in the second minute of injury time (90+2) with an excellent 'low strike' from the edge of the penalty box. With his goal, Canada's supporters present in the stadium were overjoyed. The match was quite competitive and somewhat hard-fought. Canada attempted to score 7 times (on target) throughout the game, while South Africa could only manage one shot on the opponent's post. The first half ended goalless. Canada's Moise Bombito's header was saved by South Africa's Aubrey Modiba from the goal line. Similarly, Jonathan David's shot was brilliantly blocked by South African defender Mbekezeli Mbotho. After the victory, Canada's coach Jesse Marsch gave a very emotional reaction, hugging the players on the field. He said, 'You are heroes of Canada. Because of you, the future of sports in this country is very bright. You should be proud of the level of play you have shown.' In previous World Cups, Canada had not been able to win any matches. However, after registering its first win by defeating Qatar 6-0 in this edition, Canada has now created a new history by reaching the final 16. Canada will now head to Houston for the Round of 16 match. There, Canada will compete on Saturday, July 4, against the winner of the match between Morocco and the Netherlands. The defeated South Africa has been eliminated from the competition.