Brothers Luckassen and Brobbey: goals for different teams in the 2026 World Cup

First team classified to the round of 16

A solitary goal from Stephen Eustaquio, captain of Canada, sealed South Africa’s elimination in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup. The North American team became the first team to secure its ticket to the next round.

For the host country it is a milestone: it had never before reached the round of 16 in a World Cup.

List of those eliminated so far

With the fall of South Africa, there are 17 teams disqualified between the group stage and the round of 32. The tournament will continue until Friday, July 3.

Group A: South Korea, Czech Republic, South Africa (eliminated against Canada).
Group B: Qatar.
Group C: Scotland, Haiti.
Group D: Türkiye.
Group E: Curaçao.
Group F: Tunisia.
Group G: Iran, New Zealand.
Group H: Uruguay, Saudi Arabia.
Group I: Iraq.
Group J: Jordan.
Group K: Uzbekistan.
Group L: Panama.

A right cross by Stephen Eustaquio in the 90+2 minute gave Canada a 1-0 victory over South Africa at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. The team led by Jesse Marsch thus became the first to qualify for the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup.

The goal that sealed history

Eustaquio, a soccer player for Los Angeles FC (MLS), captured a clearance by Ime Okon after a cross from Jacob Shaffelburg. From the door of the area, he defined a cross to unleash the celebration of the Canadian fans, who filled the stands.

Canada had already passed the group stage for the first time as host along with the United States and Mexico. Now, with this victory, it marks a new advance in its World Cup history.

South Africa says goodbye to its coach with record

South Africa, which also achieved its first pass to the round of 16 after trailing Mexico in Group A, tried to surprise in the second half. A shot by Oswin Appollis went wide in the 62nd minute, and three minutes later Mbekezeli Mbokazi saved a goal from David after Williams blocked Tani Oluwaseyi. Promise David hit a right-footed shot just wide in the 76th minute, and Williams responded to a left-footed shot from Jonathan David. Crépeau caught another shot from Appollis in the 85th minute, South Africa’s last chance.

The coach of South Africa, the Belgian Hugo Broos, became at 74 years and 79 days the oldest coach to coach a direct elimination duel in the history of the World Cup, surpassing the Uruguayan Óscar Tabárez (71 years and 125 days in the 2018 Russia quarterfinals).

Canada now awaits the winner of the match between the Netherlands and Morocco, who will face each other tomorrow at the Monterrey Stadium. The round of 16 duel is scheduled for Saturday, July 4 at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Costs in the Big Apple

New York became the most expensive city of all the 2026 World Cup venues. A fan who spends two days attending a game in the “Big Apple” spends an average of $720 on restaurants and tourist activities. That’s not including stadium admission, which can easily exceed a thousand dollars.

The figure reflects the economic impact of the tournament on the city. Many followers make sacrifices to be present.

“You only live once,” respond several fans consulted by the international press about their efforts to follow their team.

Comparison with other venues

Los Angeles comes in second, with an average spend of $520 for two days. Atlanta follows with $400. To these amounts we must add the cost of the tickets: tickets on the official FIFA resale website were around $800 each, even before the calendar.

Game day parking also varies. At Gillette Stadium, near Boston, it costs $175. In Miami, 150. In New York, between 250 and 300. This is without counting the airfare to the United States or internal transportation to see the team.

The high costs in New York reflect the economic weight of the 2026 World Cup in the city, which could influence the decisions of many fans when planning their trip.