The group stage is over. The knockouts start now.

Who won yesterday's World Cup games?

Saturday was closing night for the group stage, six games at once, and it delivered the full box of chocolates: a superstar stonewalled, a 40-year-old legend turning back the clock, and a goal so late it needed a passport stamp.

Colombia 0, Portugal 0 · Miami

Colombia only needed a draw to win the group, so they parked the bus, soaked up everything Portugal threw at them, and strolled off with first place. Cristiano Ronaldo, 41 years old and still the main event, could not find the one goal he wanted. Think of a defense protecting a two-score lead that just has to run out the clock, and does. Colombia wins Group K. Portugal settles for second and a rougher road through the bracket.

England 2, Panama 0 · East Rutherford

England did England things: businesslike, a little boring, completely in control. Two-nil, group won, into the knockouts without breaking a sweat. This is the top seed handling a team it was supposed to handle, by exactly the margin it was supposed to handle them. No notes.

Croatia 2, Ghana 1 · Philadelphia

Luka Modrić, who is 40 and apparently aging in reverse, dragged Croatia through one more time. The 2018 finalists and 2022 bronze medalists keep finding a way, mostly because their quarterback refuses to retire. Both Croatia and Ghana actually advanced out of the group, but Croatia grabbed second place and the better seed.

Algeria 3, Austria 3 · Kansas City

This was the heart attack. Riyad Mahrez put Algeria ahead in the 94th minute, which should have been the dagger, and then an Austria substitute equalized with the actual last kick of the match. Three-three. Picture a walk-off field goal getting answered by a kick-return touchdown on the final play of the game. Austria survived and advanced. Algeria scored three goals and still had to sweat every second.

DR Congo 3, Uzbekistan 1 · Atlanta

DR Congo, back at a World Cup for the first time since 1974 (when they were called Zaire), punched a ticket to the knockout rounds. Uzbekistan, playing in the first World Cup in their history, go home without a point but with a story to tell their grandkids. Somebody had to be the new kid who loses on the last day; somebody else gets to be the new kid who stays.

Argentina close out Group J · Arlington

The defending champs finished the group with a perfect record and another Lionel Messi free kick, because of course they did. Argentina had already clinched first place days ago, so this was Messi getting the band back together one more time before the games start counting double. Argentina did Argentina things, and now everyone else in the bracket has to deal with them.

Who plays today? (June 28, 2026)

Here is the weird and wonderful part: there is exactly one game today. The bracket was only set Saturday night, so the Round of 32 eases in with a single match on Sunday before the floodgates open Monday. Cancel nothing, plan everything around it.

South Africa vs. Canada, 3 p.m. ETon Fox and Telemundo. SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, just outside Los Angeles. Winner advances to the Round of 16. Loser's summer is over. We break it down below.

What's the must-watch game today?

It is the only game today, so technically it wins by default. But South Africa vs. Canada is a genuinely great watch, and here is the hook: neither of these teams has ever won a World Cup knockout match. Not once, not ever. By dinnertime, one of them will have. That is the whole movie.

The NFL translation: this is a 7-seed against an 8-seed on wild-card weekend. Two teams nobody penciled in this deep, both playing with house money, both terrified of the exact same thing, which is going home with the season suddenly, permanently over.

South Africa is the team that snuck in the back door and then kicked it off the hinges. Bafana Bafana lost their opener to co-host Mexico, looked cooked, then beat South Korea on the final day to steal second place in their group and bump a more famous team out. That is your wild-card team that wins in Week 18 to grab the last playoff spot, and now nobody wants to see their name in the bracket.

Canada is the more talented side and the closest thing to a home team left in this corner of the draw. Jesse Marsch, the American coach the U.S. famously passed over, has them playing fast and fearless. They hung a 6-0 on Qatar, the first World Cup win in Canada's history and a proper statement blowout, before a flat loss to Switzerland knocked them to second. Jonathan David is their finisher, the guy who has to put the ball in the net when it matters. When he is cooking, Canada looks like a team nobody should want to draw.

Honest read: this is a coin flip, and we said as much when we broke down the full Round of 32 bracket over on the GameDay School YouTube channel. Canada has more firepower and something close to a home crowd. South Africa has momentum and absolutely nothing to lose, which is the most dangerous thing a team can carry into a one-and-done game. Do not be shocked by either result.

South Africa vs. Canada: What Time and Channel Today?

South Africa vs. Canada kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT on Sunday, June 28 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It airs on Fox (English) and Telemundo (Spanish), and you can stream it on the Fox Sports app, Fox One, or Fubo, or catch the Spanish call on Peacock. It is the first knockout game of the entire tournament, and the winner advances to the Round of 16. Check the full How-to-Watch cheat sheet for every option, or grab a streaming pass here.

What channel are today's World Cup games on?

Just the one game today: South Africa vs. Canada on Fox and Telemundo at 3 p.m. ET. Starting Monday, June 29, the Round of 32 ramps up to three and four knockout games a day. See the complete How-to-Watch guide or stream every game here.

New here? Start with these

Just got pulled into the World Cup because it is in North America and your group chat will not shut up about it? Perfect timing, because the knockout rounds are where it gets unmissable: one bad half and a team's entire summer is over. We explain every confusing rule and moment in NFL and baseball terms over on the GameDay School YouTube channel. Subscribe and you will never be the person on the couch asking why everyone is suddenly yelling.

• Start with How the 2026 World Cup Works for groups, the new 32-team knockout round, and how those best third-place teams snuck in.
• Use How to Watch the 2026 World Cup for every channel and streaming option.
• Catch up with yesterday's recap (June 27) for the group-stage finale and the night Messi and Ronaldo both took the field.

FAQ: World Cup June 28, 2026

What time is South Africa vs. Canada today?

South Africa vs. Canada kicks off at 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT on Sunday, June 28 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Fox and Telemundo. It is the only game today and the first match of the Round of 32. The winner advances to the Round of 16; the loser is eliminated.

Why is there only one World Cup game today?

Because the group stage just ended Saturday night and the knockout bracket was only locked hours ago. FIFA eased the Round of 32 in with a single game on Sunday, June 28 before the schedule jumps to three or four knockout games a day starting Monday, June 29. Enjoy the calm before the storm.

Did Argentina and England win their groups?

Yes to both. Argentina finished Group J with a perfect record and another Messi free kick, and England won Group L with a 2-0 win over Panama. Both move on to the Round of 32 as group winners, which earns them a slightly friendlier path in the next round.

Has Canada or South Africa ever won a World Cup knockout game?

No, and that is exactly what makes today fun. Neither South Africa nor Canada has ever won a knockout match at a men's World Cup. One of them finally will today. Canada only got its first-ever World Cup win at all this tournament, a 6-0 thumping of Qatar, so this is uncharted, thrilling territory for both.