Picture : Stephen Eustaquio is the first player to score a winning goal in second-half stoppage time of a World Cup knockout match since Nacer Chadli did so for Belgium against Japan on 2 July 2018.
World Cup 2026 Statistics – Day 18 (June 28) – Round of 32
Canada vs South Africa 1-0
*Canada became the first host nation in the history of the World Cup to play a game outside their own country in a tournament they hosted.
*It was the first knockout match in the World Cup for both teams.
*Canada became the 3rd CONCACAF team in history to win a World Cup knockout match against an opponent from another confederation, and the first to do so in the last 40 years. The precedents:
Cuba vs Romania 2-1 (1938)
Mexico vs Bulgaria 2-0 (1986)
Apart from this, Costa Rica eliminated Greece on penalties in 2014 (Round of 16), and United States beat Mexico 2-0 in 2002 (Round of 16) in the only all-CONCACAF knockout stage tie so far.
*For the first time Canada will finish among the top 16 at a World Cup.
They finished 24th in 1986 and 31st in 2022 at their only two participations before.
*Stephen Eustaquio is the first player to score a winning goal in second-half stoppage time of a World Cup knockout match since Nacer Chadli did so for Belgium against Japan on 2 July 2018.
There are 5 such cases in the World Cup history overall, including also:
Edgar Davids (Netherlands, 1998 vs Yugoslavia)
Francesco Totti (Italy, 2006 vs Australia)
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Netherlands, 2014 vs Mexico)
*South Africa’s coach Hugo Broos became the oldest coach in history to take charge of a team in the World Cup knockout stages (74 years 79 days).
He surpassed Óscar Tabárez, who managed Uruguay in the 2018 quarter-finals at the age of 71 years and 125 days.
The third on podium is Louis van Gaal (Netherlands): 71 years and 123 days vs Argentina, 2022 quarter-finals.
*CAF teams have the highest group stage progression rate of any confederation at the 2026 World Cup:
90% – CAF (9/10)
83% – CONMEBOL (5/6)
81% – UEFA (13/16)