June 28, 2026, 6:05 a.m. ET
Day 18 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup sees the debut of the round of 32, a feature of the tournament’s new expanded format.
The knockout stage adding one more round just means even more intense, heart-pounding excitement. South Africa and Canada get the honor of kicking things off at SoFi Stadium.
Both teams are at their first ever World Cup knockout round, both arrived as group runners-up, and only one of them is moving on to the round of 16.
All times Eastern and accurate as of Thursday, June 25, 2026, at 2:09 p.m.
Round of 32: South Africa vs Canada
Time/TV: 3:00 PM ET on Fox at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California
Why watch: Canada has enjoyed the comfort of home so far as one of the co-hosts. Due to weird scheduling decisions and finishing second in their group, they’re forced to head to the USA for the most important part of the tournament. Meanwhile, South Africa played conservative and scared in their first two matches, before throwing caution to the wind against South Korea and scoring a dramatic win. Have they learned their lesson or will they fall back into old habits now that the pressure is at its highest?
Why it could disappoint: Truly this has the makings of a very exciting matchup of styles with Canada’s high pressing and South Africa’s athleticism on the break. The only scenario where this goes belly up is if Canada get an early goal or two and decide to sit back. South Africa attacking a low block is not a recipe for success or excitement.
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