Canada advances to first World Cup Round of 16 as thrilling late goal eliminates South Africa
Canada advances to World Cup Round of 16 with win over South Africa
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World Cup 2026
Soccer
Canada advances to first World Cup Round of 16 as thrilling late goal eliminates South Africa
By Ethan Sears Published June 28, 2026, 7:52 p.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on GoogleINGLEWOOD, Calif. — They waited for 91 minutes, and it sure seemed they would be waiting longer.
The game was going to extra time.
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South Africa was playing for extra time.
Canada was offering little resistance.
It had been a dull 90 minutes, all the excitement of two teams playing their first knockout game at a World Cup evaporating in back passes and passivity.
This was the sort of 0-0 knockout game to inspire takes that the tournament’s expansion to 48 teams was ill-conceived.
And then, and then, and then, South Africa defended a cross poorly, and the ball was at Stephen Eustáquio’s chest atop the 18-yard box.
All afternoon, Canada lacked a finishing touch.
Twice, South Africa defenders had come from nowhere to stop what looked like sure goals.
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Not this time.
Not this moment.
Some of Eustáquio’s teammates, Dayne St. Clair said, have been urging him to shoot and try to break a scoring drought that had stretched on since Feb. 28.
He did, swinging his right foot and, Alistair Johnston would say later, “it’s one of those moments that you’ll never forget where you were.”
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At least Canada won’t.
At its third World Cup, Canada is off to the Round of 16 for the first time in its history, Eustáquio’s strike having pulled the nation into nirvana.
Canada manager Jesse Marsch, at the full-time whistle that confirmed a 1-0 victory, implored his team: “You are Canadian heroes.”
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“It can change the perspective of our country forever,” midfielder Liam Millar said.
Eustáquio, who chose to play for Canada over Portugal, and who was playing Sunday within miles of his temporary club home — he’s on loan at LAFC from FC Porto in Portugal — will be a household name in a country of 41 million that has never had a moment like this in soccer.
“We feel like we’re brothers,” Eustáquio said. “And at the same time, when we fight for each other, when we play for each other, special things like this can happen.”
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The group, built around superstar Alphonso Davies — whose first World Cup minutes Sunday, returning from a hamstring injury, helped change the game — along with Jonathan David and Moïse Bombito, is by far Canada’s best-ever national team.
If the sport has been second fiddle in the U.S., it’s been off the radar in Canada, at least until largely the same core qualified for the Qatar World Cup four years ago.
It crashed out with three defeats then.
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Its failure to beat Switzerland in the last group-stage game this year prevented Canada from getting a knockout path with games in Canada, but handed it a winnable game against a South African side that upset South Korea to make it this far.
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Both teams, though, played nervously. South Africa dominated possession, but over 50 percent of its passes were between its center backs and keeper Ronwen Williams, leading the crowd to boo whenever Williams was on the ball in the second half.
Hugo Broos’ side dared Canada to press high and open up passing lanes over the top.
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$45.00 Amazon Buy Now New York Post may be compensated and/or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links.Canada never took the bait, and the result was a standoffish game with exceedingly little adventurism to speak of.
None of that will matter.
All that does is the moment, the joy and the highlight playing over and over again.
“Something just comes over your body and you see Steph sprinting away and the whole team sprinting,” Johnston said. “I think for Canadian sports history, it’s gonna be a moment where you kind of know where you were when that moment happened. So that’s something that is not lost on us.
“We know that not only is this writing history in Canadian soccer, but in Canadian sport. And that’s something that, really, it’s a magical, magical thing.”
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
