According to the FIFA World Cup schedule, the runners-up of Group A are set to compete against the runners-up of Group B in the Round of 32. On June 24, Kathmandu time, co-host Canada secured a spot in the Round of 32 and will face South Africa. South Africa became the runner-up of Group A after defeating South Korea 1-0, leading to this matchup.
Per World Cup regulations, the Round of 32 features matches between the second-placed teams from Group A and Group B. Co-host Canada advanced to the knockout stage for the first time as the runners-up of Group B. Despite a 2-1 loss to Switzerland in their final group game, Canada secured the second spot. Earlier, Canada drew 1-1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina and achieved a commanding 6-0 win over Qatar.
Hosting the World Cup as a co-host for the first time, Canada made history by earning its first World Cup victory on home soil and advancing to the knockout rounds. Similarly, South Africa progressed beyond the group stage to the knockout phase for the first time, finishing Group A with one win, one draw, and one loss totaling 4 points. South Africa, which hosted the World Cup in 2010, has made a significant comeback to the tournament after 16 years. The winner between Canada and South Africa will face Morocco, the winner of Group F, in the Round of 16.
