Fans cheer for Canada as team takes on South Africa in FIFA World Cup knockout stage

Hundreds of fans across the country cheered and clapped as Canada's first FIFA World Cup knockout stage match got underway, with the country taking on South Africa in a highly anticipated showdown.

The South Africans are going head-to-head with Canada under a bright sky at the Los Angeles Stadium after the former team upset South Korea 1-0 in Mexico City on Wednesday.

Canada is in the knockout stage for the first time despite a 2-1 loss in Vancouver to Switzerland, which topped the group.

Captain Alphonso Davies, who has missed all three group-stage games due to a hamstring injury, isn't in the starting lineup.

Soccer fans are buzzing with excitement at FIFA Fan Festivals in Toronto and Vancouver, as well as at watch parties in community spaces from coast to coast.

Many Canadians have supported their team at every step of the tournament so far, packing both BC Place and Toronto Stadium, turning roads into rivers of red and white flags and spending hours outside hotels to catch a glimpse of the players.

A fan experience highlight has been Canada's 6-0 rout of Qatar at BC Place on June 18, which followed the country's first World Cup point with a draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in the June 12 opener in Toronto.

"You are watching Canadian history actually being moved in soccer, so it's really exciting," fan Nabi Zadeh said after the game against Switzerland. 

"Canada is making history. Every game, every moment, it's new."

Canada head coach Jesse Marsch has said that he's expecting South Africa to be a strong opponent Sunday.

“Physically in transition and around the goal, being very decisive and athletic and powerful. So those are things that we usually are equipped with, and so that will challenge our ability to manage that," Marsch said on Thursday.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2026.

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