South Africa v Canada prediction, lineups & tips: World Cup 2026 Round of 32

The first knockout fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup takes place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, as South Africa and Canada both make their debut in the Round of 32 of the expanded tournament. For Bafana Bafana, reaching the last 32 is itself a historic achievement, they qualified from Group A in second place behind a dominant Mexico side, becoming only the second South African team to advance beyond the group stage of a World Cup, the first being the host nation in 2010. Canada, meanwhile, finished runners-up in Group B behind Switzerland, having thrashed Qatar 6-0 in the middle fixture of their group campaign.

South Africa's route to this point has not been smooth. They were beaten 2-0 by Mexico in their opener, drew 1-1 with Czechia, and then won 1-0 against South Korea in their final group game to sneak through. Head coach Hugo Broos, 74, acknowledged as much in his pre-match press conference on Friday. "We were not good against Mexico and a little better against the Czechs," the Belgian said. "Getting past the group stage for the first time was a hugely emotional moment." A 5-3-2 formation has been Broos's choice so far, built on defensive solidity, they have conceded just three goals across three games, but South Africa have managed only two goals in return and averaged an xG of 0.85 per game, suggesting limited attacking ambition.

Canada arrive in far more expansive form. Jesse Marsch's side hammered Qatar 6-0 and carry an average of 2.67 goals scored per game into this fixture, with an xG of 2.50 per match across their three group outings. Their only defeat came against Switzerland, 2-1, which keeps a degree of caution in the assessment. Marsch was direct about his intentions on Saturday. "I think we're going to be very aggressive," he told reporters in Los Angeles. Canada have dominated possession in the tournament, averaging 61.7 per cent, and generate significantly more corners, 11.67 per game compared to South Africa's 3.33.

South Africa's biggest boost heading into Sunday is the return of Teboho Mokoena. The Mamelodi Sundowns midfielder sat out the South Korea win after accumulating yellow cards. His energy and range of passing will be important if Bafana Bafana are to contain Canada's midfield. The bad news, confirmed by Broos, is that veteran playmaker Themba Zwane remains suspended after FIFA upheld his three-match ban following the red card against Mexico. Broos said: "Teboho is surely there against Canada, but Themba no, they didn't accept our appeal."

For Canada, Ismaël Koné is absent with a lower leg fracture. Alphonso Davies has been the major subplot of Canada's tournament. The Bayern Munich left-back has been managing a physical issue and was expected to start on the bench, although his mere presence gives Canada a significant option in the second half.

South Africa v Canada kicks off at 20:00 BST on Sunday, 28 June 2026 at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California. The match is broadcast live in the United Kingdom on ITV1 and ITVX, where it is available to stream for free.