Canada Advances to Round of 16 After Dramatic Win

Los Angeles. This scene was as thrilling as any movie plot. Amidst the grand atmosphere of the FIFA World Cup 2026, a match was being played in the heart of Hollywood, the Los Angeles Stadium. 

As injury time was about to end, the game seemed certain to end in a goalless draw. Just then, Canada's Stephen Eustaquio gained control of the ball near South Africa's penalty box. 

He surprised the diving goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and sent the ball straight into the net. With this goal, Canada entered the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in history. 

Eustaquio's decisive goal brought the first knockout match of the tournament to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday. This goal could be the most important and impactful of his playing career. 

Here are some interesting facts about the 29-year-old Eustaquio, the hero of this historic victory. 

• Journey from Canada to Portugal

Born to Portuguese parents in Leamington, Ontario, football was like a birthright for Eustaquio. He started playing football at the age of four. During his playing career, he traveled between his birthplace Canada and his parents' country, Portugal. 

Before his family moved to Portugal, he began his childhood football journey with the Limington Minor Soccer. At the age of seven, Eustaquio and his elder brother Mauro started playing at the club level. Later, in 2017, he signed with the Portuguese second-tier club Leixões and joined GD Chaves in 2018. 

A year later, he moved to Mexican league club Cruz Azul. He then joined Paços de Ferreira on loan, where he debuted in January 2020. In August of the same year, he debuted in European competition, scoring the third goal in a 4-0 victory against Lärn in the UEFA Europa Conference League. 

In January 2022, after joining Porto on loan, he finally managed to reach Portugal's top-tier league, the Primeira Liga. Porto signed him permanently in May of the same year. 

His latest professional journey began in February 2026. He has joined Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles FC on loan for four months. This agreement includes an option to sign him permanently. 

• Grief of Parents' Death

In April 2023, during a match against Santa Clara at Porto's home ground, Eustaquio's mother Esmeralda died of brain cancer. A year later, his father suddenly passed away due to a heart attack. 

Shortly before this tragic event, Eustaquio and his girlfriend Constanta had welcomed their daughter Benedita. While giving an interview at the Los Angeles Stadium after the match, the emotional midfielder said, 'Whatever I do, I do it for my family, my parents, my girlfriend, my daughter, my brother, and my old friends back home.' 

In an interview with Sportsnet Canada in September 2024, Mauro Eustaquio, the head coach of Inter Toronto FC, discussed himself and his brother Stephen. He said they had decided to accept the pain and honor their parents' lives. 

Mauro said, 'Our parents gave us wings. Now it's our turn to fly.' 

He added, 'We are both fortunate to be able to do what we love most.' 

Mauro, a former footballer turned coach, recalled in the same interview how families would gather in the large Portuguese community of Leamington and how children like him and Stephen would regularly play football together. 

• Over 60 Caps for Canada

Eustaquio began his international youth career representing Canada in the 2012 AGS Cup. Later, he also played youth football for Portugal's U-21 team for a short period in the 2019 UEFA European Championship qualifiers. 

Eustaquio committed to playing for Canada's senior team in February 2019. In October of the same year, he was called up to the national team for the first time for the CONCACAF Nations League. He scored his first international goal in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He has played in the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the 2023 CONCACAF Nations League Finals, and the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup for Porto. 

Due to Alphonso Davies being injured and out of the game, Eustaquio took on the captain's role in Sunday's match. After the game, he said, 'We have worked very hard to achieve this victory. We want to dedicate this win to all the Canadian citizens.' 

He added, 'We did not lose faith and kept trying. We could not have imagined a happier ending than this.' 

Eustaquio, who scored his sixth goal in his 61st game for Canada, said about his goal, 'It was a great goal. When I struck it, I felt everyone on the field supporting me. The collective strength of everyone made the ball go straight into the net.' 

Al Jazeera