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Canada’s Late Goal Beats South Africa in R32

6/29/2026

50 11 Full Breakdown

Summary

Canada Beats South Africa

Canada scored a late goal to beat South Africa in the Round of 32, ending regular time.
If tied after 90 minutes, teams play two 15-minute extra-time halves.
If still tied, each side selects five on-field players for alternating kicks, after which sudden-death kicks continue until a winner emerges.
After five kicks each, the team ahead advances, with sudden-death kicks continuing one at a time if the score remains level.

Summary

FIFA Keeps Substitutes

FIFA will keep the five-substitute rule for the 2026 World Cup, a change first made during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Teams may stop play only three times for substitutions, with simultaneous changes by both sides counting as one opportunity per team.
Substitutes entered at halftime do not use a slot, while unused players from regulation may be used in extra time, where each side receives one additional substitution.

Summary

Managers Boost Odds

Managers bring on fresh attackers in the final minutes of extra time to boost their penalty-shootout odds.
FIFA requires all 11 players on the field at extra-time’s end to each take a penalty before any repeat.
A coin toss decides which team shoots first, shaping coaches’ choices for the penalty order.
Goalkeepers must shoot in the initial round, ensuring they take a penalty before any outfield player repeats.

Summary

Golden Goal Legacy

Extra time applies only from the Round of 32 onward as the 48-team format moves the knockout phase earlier.
The Golden Goal rule was trialed in 1998 and 2002, yielding four goals, the first by defender Laurent Blanc.
In 2002, three Golden Goal moments occurred, including Turkey’s quarter-final victory over Senegal.
Several finals have needed extra time or penalties, most recently the 2022 Argentina-France and 2014 Germany-Argentina matches.

History

Historical Context

FIFA introduced the golden-goal rule in 1993 and applied it at the 1998 World Cup, where Laurent Blanc’s extra-time strike gave France a 1-0 win over Paraguay in a 32-team, 64-match tournament. Viewed as a failed experiment, the IFAB abolished the rule in 2004 after Euro 2004, and the 2026 World Cup adopts a 48-team format, reflecting ongoing changes to tournament structure.

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Canada Beats South Africa

Canada scored a late goal to beat South Africa in the Round of 32, ending regular time.
If tied after 90 minutes, teams play two 15-minute extra-time halves.
If still tied, each side selects five on-field players for alternating kicks, after which sudden-death kicks continue until a winner emerges.
After five kicks each, the team ahead advances, with sudden-death kicks continuing one at a time if the score remains level.

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