The knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup gets underway tonight as South Africa face Canada in the opening match of the newly introduced Round of 32, with both sides aiming to continue their impressive campaigns and book a place in the last 16.
The match will be played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, at 10:00 p.m. Cairo time, marking the first knockout fixture of the expanded 48-team World Cup format.
Both teams progressed from the group stage after resilient performances and now stand one victory away from reaching the Round of 16.
Portuguese referee João Pinheiro will officiate the encounter, assisted by fellow Portuguese officials Bruno Jesus and Luciano Maia, while UAE referee Omar Al Ali has been appointed as the fourth official, with Mohammed Al Hammadi serving as reserve assistant referee.
South Africa secured qualification after finishing second in Group A with four points. Bafana Bafana recovered from an opening 2-0 defeat to Mexico by drawing 1-1 with Czechia before claiming a crucial 1-0 victory over South Korea in their final group match to seal a historic place in the knockout rounds.
Canada also advanced as runners-up in Group B with four points. The Canadians opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina before producing one of the tournament's most dominant displays in a 6-0 victory over Qatar.
Despite suffering a narrow 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in their final group game, Canada accumulated enough points to secure qualification.
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