South Africa will face Canada in Los Angeles as the 2026 World Cup Round of 32 gets underway, with a place in the last 16 on the line. The African side became one of the tournament’s biggest surprises.
After opening with a 2-0 defeat to Mexico, South Africa bounced back with a 1-1 draw against Czechia before defeating South Korea 1-0 to secure four points and finish second in Group A.
That remarkable turnaround earned Bafana Bafana a knockout-stage berth, where they will meet one of the tournament’s host nations. Interestingly, however, Canada will not have home-field advantage as they fell to second place in Group B.
What is South Africa’s current FIFA ranking?
South Africa are currently ranked No. 54 in the FIFA World Ranking with 1,451.24 points. Thanks to their performances at the 2026 World Cup, Bafana Bafana already climbed six places in the live FIFA rankings, making one of the biggest jumps of the tournament.
How has the World Cup affected South Africa’s FIFA ranking?
South Africa lost 13.50 FIFA ranking points after their opening defeat to Mexico. The draw against Czechia helped recover 3.34 points, but the biggest boost came from the impressive 1-0 victory over South Korea, which added 33.03 points to the team’s total. Those results combined have produced a significant rise in the rankings ahead of the knockout stage.
Can South Africa continue climbing?
Yes. A victory over Canada in the Round of 32 would not only send South Africa into the last 16 for the first time in their history but would also add valuable FIFA ranking points.
With confidence growing after a strong finish to the group stage, they now have the opportunity to continue one of the most surprising runs of the 2026 World Cup.
