Canada are through to the last 16 at the 2026 World Cup after a 92nd-minute winner over South Africa in Los Angeles, and they did it as the first of the three co-hosts to reach the knockout rounds. It was also Canada’s first knockout victory at a World Cup, a result that changed their tournament from survival mode to a place in the next round.
That is why the FIFA rankings are being searched now: the group stage is over, 17 teams are out and 30 are still alive, with the bracket beginning to take shape. Canada will learn its opponent on Monday after the Netherlands and Morocco meet, while the rest of the field starts to narrow toward the final rounds.
France remained top of the rankings even though Didier Deschamps missed the game because of the death of his mother, a detail that gives the table a sharper edge than a routine re-ordering. France won all three of its group games, Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick against Norway’s B-team, and Michael Olise was used in the No 10 role and already has three assists and counting. The Athletic’s live projection tool put France’s chances of winning the World Cup at 21 per cent, a reminder that being first in the standings does not make the path easy.
The rest of the top end is already being reshaped by results on the field. The holders advanced after three Group J matches, while Spain opened with a draw against Morocco before beating Saudi Arabia and Uruguay, with the 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia their most convincing result. Brazil also moved through after a draw with Morocco and back-to-back 3-0 wins over Haiti and Scotland, with Vinicius Junior on four tournament goals and Neymar making a substitute appearance against Scotland.
For Canada, the next step is simple and immediate. Their opponent will come from the Netherlands and Morocco on Monday, and after a late goal in Los Angeles, they now enter the knockout rounds with something no Canadian side at a World Cup has had before: a place in the last 16 and proof they can finish the job when it matters most.
