Joao Pinheiro to referee South Africa vs Canada in World Cup round of 32

Portugal’s Joao Pinheiro will take charge of South Africa vs Canada at SoFi Stadium in the Los Angeles area on Sunday, the first match of the 2026 World Cup round of 32. Kick-off is set for midday local time (8pm UK time).

The appointment marks Pinheiro’s second game of the tournament and his first at any major international tournament. The 38-year-old previously officiated Switzerland’s 4-1 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the group stage — a result that did not take shape until the final 16 minutes, partly after Pinheiro issued a straight red card to Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemovic for a denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity with ten minutes remaining.

Fellow Portuguese officials Bruno Jesus and Luciano Maia will serve as assistant referees. The UAE’s Omar Al Ali has been named fourth official, with Mohamed Al-Hammadi as the reserve official. Details of the VAR crew had not been confirmed at the time of writing.

The match itself pits two group-stage runners-up against each other. Canada, co-hosts of the tournament, finished second in Group B and will play on neutral ground for the first time this summer. South Africa, runners-up in Group A, secured their place in the knockout round with a victory over South Korea in their final group fixture.

With no other matches scheduled on Sunday, the game at SoFi Stadium stands as the sole focus of the opening day of the knockout phase.