Canada midfielder Stephen Eustaquio scored a stoppage-time winner against South Africa to secure his nation's progression to the World Cup's last-16, then fought back tears in a post-match interview dedicating the goal to his late parents.
Match-Winning Moment
Eustaquio's 92nd-minute strike clinched a 1-0 victory for the co-hosts at the Los Angeles Stadium, setting up a last-16 encounter with either Morocco or the Netherlands in Houston on July 4. The 29-year-old fired home from outside the area in the second minute of stoppage time in a match that had been low on genuine quality.
Born in the Canadian capital to Portuguese parents, Eustaquio moved to Portugal aged seven. He lost his mother to brain cancer in 2023 and his father to a heart attack a year later.
Emotional Tribute
In his post-match interview, Eustaquio became visibly tearful as he paid tribute to his family. "Everything I do is for my family, for my parents, for my girlfriend, for my daughter," a visibly moved Eustaquio said. "For my friends back home. For everyone."
Reflecting on the victory, he added: "I think we worked a lot to get this victory. We really wanted to give this win to all of the Canadians. We just kept believing, kept pushing and I couldn't have imagined it any other way."
"I think it was an amazing goal but when I shot, I felt everyone shot with me. They put a little bit of power on it and it went into the back of the net. So I am very happy."
Unwavering Belief
Eustaquio spoke of his side's belief: "It started when we came out of the group stage. I think when it comes to the knockouts of the World Cup, the belief brings a big part to it. Now, we're going to get Morocco or the Netherlands and who knows, on a good day we can make things happen. Probably the quality is not going to be there, but if we keep believing and keep working, things might go our way."
Coach's Praise
Canada head coach Jesse Marsch commented on the match: "We knew the game would get a little wild sometimes because they like to play in open spaces and sometimes, in transition, they can be very difficult to deal with."
"We tried to make sure that we kept our structure and we tried to say we keep ramping up the level of the game and come from the bench and get stronger and see if we could punish them at some point. We had chances in the whole game, but we weren't lethal enough."
"Then it fell to Steph and I'm just hoping he puts it on frame and gives us a chance. He buries it. I can't help but think of all the hard work from these guys. The character. They are Canadian heroes, that's what I told them at the end. They are now Canadian heroes. I am so happy for them."
