World Cup 2026 round-up: Canada break South African hearts, Lionel Messi continues Argentina’s trophy surge
Canada defeated South Africa on Sunday with a stoppage-time Stephen Eustaquio winner to see Jesse Marsch’s side advance to the Round of 16 stage to meet either Netherlands or Morocco.
Elsewhere, Lionel Messi and Argentina continued their World Cup defense on the same day with a clinical 3-1 victory over Jordan.
Messi’s 80th-minute strike made it goal number six for the Argentine legend in this year’s tournament, and a record-breaking moment as well - being the first player to score in seven-consecutive World Cup matches.
Marsch: My players are ‘Canadian heroes’
"We talked about sticking to the plan, sticking to who we want to be. Playing aggressive, accessing the qualities,” Marsch said at full-time after Canada’s victory, quoted on Sky Sports.
"You guys showing your character, you guys are Canadian heroes now. Canadian heroes, for the future children of this country.
"This sport has a big future because of you guys. You should be so proud of who you are, because of this game."
READ MORE: World Cup 2026 news: Ousmane Dembele steals the spotlight as France punish much-changed Norway
‘No words can describe him’ says Scaloni on star-man Messi
"It's a bit of an awkward situation for me because I don't know what else to say,” Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni said of Messi’s quality and leadership.
“The only thing I can add is that he could have played 90 minutes today and, without taking anything away from the opposition, he might have added to that legend.
"But he preferred to give his team-mates some playing time and focus on what lies ahead. That speaks volumes about him because he doesn't dwell on those statistics that people talk about so much.
"Yes, he still surprises me, but there are no more words to describe him," Scaloni added.
Argentina will view their clash with Cape Verde in the last 32 as a winnable one - further establishing them as one of the tournament’s primary favourites.
