What a miracle path to FIFA World Cup final would look like for Canada
The Canadian men’s national team continues to make history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
After beating South Africa on Sunday with a late goal from Stephen EustĂĄquio, Canada advanced to the Round of 16 for the first time and now sits just three wins away from an unimaginable trip to the final.
While nobody expects Canada to go all the way, here’s what their path would be to the final.
Round of 16
Canada’s next test in the Round of 16 is slated to be its toughest yet, playing the winner of Morocco and the Netherlands in Houston on July 4.
Even though Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsch says the next game is the challenge his team has been waiting for, Les Rouges will be the heavy underdogs.
Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsch celebrates after the team’s 1-0 win over South Africa at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (Jessie Alcheh/Imagn Images)
“This team deserves the right to go after a giant,” Marsch said after Sunday’s match. “That’s what we are going to do.”
On paper, the Dutch would present the more difficult matchup, going undefeated in the tournament so far.
Morocco enters ranked sixth in the world, while the Netherlands sits seventh. Both nations have handed Canada 4-0 defeats within the past decade.
Quarterfinals
Should Canada pull off the upset and reach the quarterfinals, the competition would become even stiffer, with a likely matchup against one of France, Germany, Paraguay or Sweden in Boston.
Canada could meet Kylian Mbappe and France in the quarterfinals if they advance. (Yukihito Taguchi/USA TODA)Y Sports
Semifinals
And let’s say Canada’s dream run continues with Jonathan David having the best game of his career, scoring three against France.
The semifinal match could feature Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina or even the U.S. in Dallas. How fun would that be?
Final, plus a what-if
Even if Canada ended up drawing or beating Switzerland in their final group stage match, the path may not have been that much easier.
Instead of facing South Africa in the Round of 32, Canada would have landed on the opposite side of the bracket and played Algeria in Vancouver, with a potential quarterfinal meeting against the defending champion Argentina.
Canada’s Stephen EustĂĄquio celebrates scoring the game-winner against South Africa with teammates. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
If that miracle happened, it would then be a possible semifinal match against Brazil, England or Mexico.
The two FIFA World Cup semifinals will be played in Dallas and Atlanta, while the final match is scheduled for July 19 in New York/New Jersey.
Who knows how far they’ll get, but anything is possible, and there’s always bound to be an upset or two in these single-game knockout stages.
So you might as well book time off and plan those World Cup parties for those semifinal matchups on July 14 and 15.