Canada will play their opening Round of 32 match in the United States - Photo: AP
The 2026 World Cup will mark a significant milestone in world football history by increasing the number of participating teams from 32 to 48 for the first time. This change introduces a completely new format, including the Round of 32 – an additional knockout round immediately following the group stage.
Increase the bonus
With the increased scale of the tournament, the total number of matches at the 2026 World Cup has jumped to 104, an increase of 40 matches compared to the old format. The Round of 32 alone will feature a total of 16 knockout matches.
According to the International Football Federation (FIFA), all teams participating in the 2026 World Cup will receive 1.5 million euros. This is to cover the costs of preparing for the 2026 World Cup. Furthermore, teams eliminated from the group stage will receive an additional 9 million euros. Therefore, simply participating in this year's World Cup in North America will automatically grant teams a total of 10.5 million euros in prize money.
Securing a place in the round of 32 will earn them an additional 2 million euros. If they advance further, they will receive an extra 4 million euros. This is an extremely significant amount for reinvesting in and developing domestic football, especially in developing countries.
Canada - the first host nation to have to play outside its territory.
The opening match of this historic tournament will be the clash between Canada and South Africa, taking place at SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, USA) at 2:00 AM on June 29th.
This match holds special significance as Canada – one of the three co-hosting nations – became the first host nation in World Cup history to play a match outside its own borders, having finished second in Group B after a narrow 1-2 defeat to Switzerland .
Despite having to travel to the United States, coach Jesse Marsch's team is still considered slightly superior thanks to its well-balanced squad and high-intensity play. Canada's style of play relies heavily on speed and attacking prowess on both flanks, with standout players like Tajon Buchanan and Alistair Johnston. Up front, striker Jonathan David is in good form with 3 goals since the start of the tournament, ready to punish any mistakes by the opposition.
However, Canada is facing significant losses in terms of personnel. Midfielder Ismael Kone is definitely out due to injury, while the availability of Stephen Eustaquio and Alfie Jones remains uncertain. The biggest hope for Canadian fans right now is the return from the bench of superstar Alphonso Davies after a hamstring injury.
A close match
Meanwhile, South Africa entered this round as the true "dark horse" of Group A. Under the guidance of experienced coach Hugo Broos, they displayed an extremely pragmatic and disciplined style of play. After a 0-2 defeat against Mexico in their opening match, South Africa transformed themselves to secure a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic and a 1-0 victory over South Korea to advance beyond the group stage for the first time.
In terms of personnel, South Africa will welcome back the crucial midfielder Teboho Mokoena after his suspension. His presence will significantly strengthen the midfield. However, they will still be without Themba Zwane due to a suspension from the opening match. South Africa's playing style is based on a solid, deep defensive block led by goalkeeper Ronwen Williams.
This is predicted to be an extremely tight match with little space. Canada, as the favored team, will undoubtedly take the initiative and press from the start. However, they need to be especially wary of South Africa's sharp counter-attacks. If Canada's attack, particularly Jonathan David, finds the net early on, the deadlock will be broken.
Conversely, if the match drags on and South Africa maintains their formation, they could easily force the game into extra time or a risky penalty shootout.
Canada will beat South Africa.
Expert Doan Minh Xuong
This is the assessment of expert Doan Minh Xuong in an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper ahead of the first match in the round of 32 between host nation Canada and South Africa. Here is Mr. Doan Minh Xuong's analysis:
"This is a fairly balanced match and very difficult to predict. Two second-placed teams are facing each other and showing a similar level of skill. However, it's unfortunate that Canada lost their home advantage due to finishing second in their group. Facing South Africa at SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, USA) isn't necessarily a bad thing because Canada might not be under as much pressure. Meanwhile, South Africa, having advanced beyond the group stage for the first time, has essentially shed its psychological burden and will likely play better. Therefore, this promises to be an exciting match."
Hopefully, playing against a not-so-strong host team like Canada, South Africa will be able to showcase their full potential. After a 0-2 defeat against Mexico in the opening match, South Africa drew 1-1 with the Czech Republic and then beat South Korea 1-0 in the final match, thus securing their place in the next round. The victory against South Korea was a "lifesaver" for South Africa because, in reality, South Korea played like a headless chicken, playing with a fear of losing, which ultimately led to their defeat. Coach Hong Myung Bo did not prepare the South Korean players well mentally.
Meanwhile, Canada is on track to advance beyond the group stage for the first time. Losing midfielder Ismael Kone, who suffered a broken leg in the second match against Qatar, was a blow to the Canadian team as he was a key player in their style of play. However, coach Jesse Marsch seems to have found an effective replacement. Despite losing 1-2 to Switzerland in the final group stage match, Canada has improved with each game. Particularly noteworthy is the outstanding performance of Jonathan David, the striker who has scored 3 goals since the start of the tournament.
With their modern style of play, I think even without home advantage, Canada will beat South Africa 2-1, thus writing another milestone for their football. South Africa has a tight defense and a very high fighting spirit, but that's still not enough to defeat Canada."
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/canada-nam-phi-mo-man-vong-dau-lich-su-100260628124416264.htm
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