Eustáquio's late winner sends Canada into the last 16 as the knockouts begin

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Canada reached the World Cup round of 16 for the first time, beating South Africa 1-0 in the opening knockout tie in Los Angeles. Stephen Eustáquio struck in stoppage time from the edge of the box, finishing after Alistair Johnston's long ball was cleared into his path, according to CBC, in a tight contest South Africa had defended resolutely before going out.

The knockout phase steps up on June 29 with three heavyweight ties: Brazil face Japan in Houston, Germany meet Paraguay in Boston and the Netherlands take on Morocco in Monterrey, per NBC Sports. All three are scheduled to play out the next stage of the round of 32.

Canada's reward is a round-of-16 meeting in Houston on July 4 with the winner of the Netherlands–Morocco tie, according to Sky Sports' bracket, extending the co-hosts' best-ever World Cup run.

Transfer and squad notes

Alphonso Davies made his first appearance of the tournament for Canada, coming off the bench in the second half against South Africa as he returns from injury. The captain's introduction immediately created a chance, and his fitness is a significant boost for Canada heading into the knockouts, per Yahoo Sports.

Iran's tournament, meanwhile, was confirmed over as the bracket finalised, the side missing out on one of the eight best third-placed berths after their late disallowed goal against Egypt, according to Al Jazeera.

What it means for the league

The knockout rounds have begun with another landmark for the hosts, Canada following their first World Cup win with their first knockout victory. The June 29 fixtures bring the tournament's bigger names into the elimination phase, with Brazil, Germany and the Netherlands all in action, while Canada wait to learn their last-16 opponent. With the bracket now set, the margins narrow sharply as the field is cut toward the quarter-finals.