The knockout round begins on Sunday, as South Africa and Canada battle at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. Despite losing its final group match, Canada is heavily favored against South Africa, a team that scored just one non-penalty goal in the group stage. Who will advance to the Round of 16? Here are the best 2026 World Cup picks for Sunday’s Round of 32 matchup between South Africa and Canada.
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Sunday’s Best 2026 World Cup Picks & Predictions
(Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook)
South Africa vs. Canada
Some may not trust Canada after its 2-1 loss to Switzerland, but I think that would be an unwise decision. Switzerland didn't have the best group stage, especially after tying Qatar. However, Switzerland is still a great offensive team, and there is no shame in Canada losing a tightly contested match to the Swiss.
Meanwhile, I'm still not sure what to make of South Africa, even after defeating South Korea. South Africa is a team that wants to counter, and over three World Cup matches, Bafana Bafana has maintained just 41% possession.
Possession isn't everything, but the offense really hasn't shown much life. I think Jonathan David and the Canadians will be able to beat the South African defense a few times to secure the victory in regulation.
I'm picking Canada to win, but will South Africa score? I haven't trusted the South African offense all tournament, and it has burned me twice.
Of course, their goal against Switzerland came on a penalty, and I don't expect Canada to concede one of those in this match. But Thapelo Maseko's goal against South Korea was impressive, and it could be a sign of things to come for South Africa’s offense.
What is a bit concerning regarding Canada is that the defense allowed goals in two of its three games. While Switzerland’s performance doesn't bother me, seeing what Bosnia-Herzegovina's offense looked like throughout the group stage makes me think most teams will be able to score against Canada at least once.
Picks: Canada Moneyline (-140), Both Teams to Score (+105) & Over 2.5 Goals (+120)
Phil Wood is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Phil, check out his archive and follow him @Phil_Wood_Jr.