World Cup Highlights | Canada's Historic Day, Hong Myung-bo Resigns

"This is a historic day for Canadian football." Both head coach Jesse Marsch and the Canadian media celebrated a historic night for Canadian football.

It was a typical knockout match — conservative in approach and slow in tempo — but enough to exhilarate Canadians, as their team continued to write history, from their first World Cup victory to now reaching the Round of 16 for the first time.

The first knockout match of the 2026 World Cup in USA-Mexico-Canada was not a marquee fixture: host Canada faced South Africa, who had narrowly advanced in the final group stage round. But the match proved that knockout games are always full of suspense. Canada scored a stoppage-time winner, winning 1-0 in a hard-fought battle.

Canada's 92nd-minute Long-range Winner

After making history once again, Canada coach Marsch addressed his players in the dressing room: "You are heroes of Canada. For every child in this country who will play football in the future, you are their heroes. Because of you, this sport has an incredibly bright future in Canada. You should be proud."

For both Canada and South Africa, this Round of 32 clash was their first-ever World Cup knockout match. Both coaches expressed their desire to continue making history.

Canada's Jesse Marsch said: "The opposition have reached the knockouts through extreme tactical discipline and solid defense — they must not be underestimated. This will be a high-intensity battle. We must learn from our group stage defeat against Switzerland, where lack of aggression on both ends was our biggest problem. Against South Africa, we must go all in from the first minute. We want to make history, but we won't be carried away by emotion."

On the other side, South Africa's 74-year-old veteran coach Broos promised a knockout match worthy of his country's history books: "I think we've answered those who keep shouting and shut them up. This is probably my last World Cup as a coach. I just know the players will be ready again. This is a historic match, and the players will fight for it. They want to prove their quality to everyone."

The match was extremely tight. South Africa held 57% possession, but Canada's attack was more incisive — leading 4-1 in corners, 11-6 in shots, 6-1 in shots on target, and 9-1 in shots inside the box. However, South Africa's stubborn defense kept the scoreline blank. Goalkeeper Williams made 5 saves and completed 77 accurate passes, surpassing Germany's Manuel Neuer (51 accurate passes against Japan in 2022) to set a World Cup record for goalkeeper passes in a single match.

In the 75th minute, Canada's star player Alphonso Davies came off the bench for his tournament debut. Davies had been recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in Bayern Munich's Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain and missed Canada's group stage matches. "After Davies came on, South Africa's defensive line visibly dropped deeper, and Canada finally got more space on the wings," Sky Sports noted. Canadian fans praised him on social media: "He doesn't even need to score — just standing there changes the game."

Canada's goal finally came in the 2nd minute of second-half stoppage time. Their persistence paid off after a long wait.

Stephen Eustáquio's long-range strike found the back of the net past South Africa's goalkeeper — 1-0. The midfielder's last goal for his country was against Jamaica in November 2023. Clearly, he saved his goal for the most crucial moment. With this victory, Canada became the first CONCACAF team to win a World Cup knockout match since Costa Rica's Round of 16 win in 2014.

Interestingly, Eustáquio currently plays for Los Angeles FC. Scoring the knockout winner in Los Angeles gave him a "home hero" feel.

Hard-fought Victory, A Team Win

Marsch acknowledged the difficulty of the match: "At the end of the day, this was a victory that the whole team gritted their teeth to achieve. We knew before the game it wouldn't be easy. We could have played better, and Davies is close to returning to his best. We hope he can play more minutes in the next match."

Eustáquio could not hide his excitement after the match. Speaking about his winner, he said: "It was a great goal. When I took the shot, I felt like the whole country was shooting with me, like all Canadians poured their strength into that strike, and the ball ended up in the net."

Media outlets focused on the match. Canada's TSN Sports said: "From two World Cups with zero wins to their first knockout victory — Canadian football has completed a milestone leap. While their finishing efficiency needs improvement, their mature high-pressing system gives them the confidence to keep chasing new heights."

France's L'Équipe described Canada's win as hard-earned: "This victory was far from a walk in the park — it was more of a nerve-wracking advance. South Africa coach Broos maximized his defensive tactics, but was ultimately limited by individual quality and squad depth in attack. Their counterattacks relied solely on long balls, lacking a consistent scoring threat, and ultimately couldn't sustain the African underdog fairytale."

After advancing, Canada will face the winner of Netherlands vs Morocco in the Round of 16. Match-winner Eustáquio emphasized the importance of belief: "We've been full of belief since the group stage. We want to dedicate this victory to the Canadian people. In the knockout rounds, this belief will play an even bigger role. Against Morocco or the Netherlands, if we're in good form, we have the ability to keep creating something special. Even if we're not the stronger side on paper, if we believe in ourselves and fight hard, luck may just be on our side."

South Korea Coach Hong Myung-bo Resigns

On June 28, South Korea coach Hong Myung-bo announced his resignation. South Korea finished the group stage with 1 win and 2 losses (3 points) and were eliminated, ranking 34th — their worst performance in World Cup history.

Hong Myung-bo said at the press conference: "I sincerely apologize to the people who supported the national team. I will step down from the coaching position. Being the national team coach was not an easy decision. I believe seeing my responsibilities through was the only way, but now the time has come to take responsibility."

Hong acknowledged his sense of duty toward Korean football, but that same sense of duty compelled him to resign after the disappointing group stage exit. "To take clear responsibility, I stand here today. For failing to meet the expectations of the people, all responsibility lies with the head coach. I thank the players, coaching staff, and everyone involved. Though I step down today, my love for Korean football remains. I will cheer for the national team to regain the trust of the people."