Canada Draws South Africa in Opening Knockout Match as World Cup Brackets Take Shape

The first knockout match of the 2026 World Cup is set: Canada, the runner-up from Group 2, will face South Africa, the runner-up from Group 1, on Sunday in Los Angeles. Canada’s place in the bracket was confirmed after Switzerland beat the hosts 2-1 in Vancouver on Wednesday to finish first in the group, a result that sent Switzerland through as group winners and dropped Jesse Marsch’s team into second.

For Canada, the loss means it will leave home soil for the round of 32 and continue the tournament in the United States. The article says its historic knockout-stage debut will now come away from Canada. So far, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, the United States, Germany and Argentina have already clinched their groups, while the third round of group play is still determining the remaining knockout spots.

Under the expanded 48-team format, eight of the 12 third-place teams will also advance. The final bracket will only be confirmed after the last group matches, with tiebreakers including head-to-head results, goal difference, goals scored, fair play and FIFA ranking if needed. The article lays out the possible matchups across the remaining groups, many of which still depend on final-round results and goal-difference margins.

Among the main scenarios, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, the U.S. and Argentina are all projected to enter as group winners, while other groups remain open. In one of the biggest remaining storylines, Lionel Messi’s Argentina has already secured first place in its group and will meet Jordan in a match described as meaningless for the champion. Elsewhere, England only needs to avoid an extraordinary collapse against Panama, while France and Norway are set to fight for first place in their group.