Co-hosts Canada were the first nation to qualify for World Cup round of 16, in the only round of 32 match played on Sunday, against South Africa. Not the most exciting match for many football fans, and it lacked goals but not emotion: Canada qualified on the verge of added time, when Stephen Eustáquio scored in the 92nd min.
Eustáquio, midfielder in Los Angeles FC at the MLS on loan from Porto, having played most of his career in Portugal (Torreense, Leixões, Chaves, Paços de Ferreira), scored the winning goal from outside the penalty area, a quick and clinical shot past goalkeeper Ronwen Williams that resulted in Canada winning for the first time a World Cup knockout match, and also qualifying for the first time for round of 16 (this was the first World Cup with the added round of 32 match).
Canada has only qualified for two World Cups before this one (where they qualified automatically as co-hosts). They fell in group stage in Mexico 1986 and Qatar 2022, never winning a match. This edition, they have won two matches including this one, qualifying as group B runner-ups behind Switzerland.
Things will get much more complicated for Canada, as they will face the winner of the match between Morocco and Netherlands, and will play their round of 16 match on July 4 in Houston. Today we have three World Cup round of 32 matches:
- Brazil vs. Japan: 19:00 CEST, 18:00 BST
- Germany vs. Paraguay: 22:30 cest, 21:30 BST
- Netherlands vs. Morocco: 3:00 CEST, 2:00 BST (of Tuesday)
