Stephen Eustáquio: Canada's ideal World Cup hero | OneFootball

By Charles Boehm

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – When his right foot thumped the game-winning goal past South Africa goalkeeper Ronwen Williams, Stephen Eustáquio wasn’t alone.

Canada’s classy central midfielder was surrounded by yellow Bafana Bafana jerseys at the top of the penalty box as he chested down a clearance and hit his clinical half-volley two minutes into injury time.

But Eustáquio felt the power of a collective – an entire soccer nation, really – at his back as he sent Les Rouges into the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 via their first-ever knockout-round victory, and just the second World Cup win of their program’s existence.

“In that shot,” an emotional Eustáquio told reporters postgame following the 1-0 victory over South Africa in the Round of 32, “I felt that everybody in the team shot that ball with me.

"We just have to believe, and I shot it with everything I had.”

Perfect hero

It was high drama befitting the first knockout match of the tournament, a cinematic way for this Canada side to make more memories and keep charming their compatriots back home. The goal staved off the looming threat of extra time and all the effort and tension that it imposes, too, prompting warm tributes to both the quality and character of ‘Staqs,’ as he is often called among the squad.

“It's probably honestly one of the perfect guys to score and take us to the next round,” said Toronto FC defender Richie Laryea.

“He's selfless; he gives 110% every single time he steps on the pitch. When Fonzie [Alphonso Davies] is not in, he's the captain; he leads by example. So yeah, for him to get that goal, and everything he's done in this jersey since he started, I think it's special.”

Eustáquio's heroics sparked pure delight among the massed ranks of red-clad Canadian fans at Los Angeles Stadium, and his teammates, too, with even Ismaël Koné – in the early stages of recovery from the gruesome broken leg he suffered in the Group Stage win over Qatar – hobbling into the blur of bodies to dance after the final whistle, celebrations that carried over into the locker room.

“I haven't felt that in a while. That was a similar feeling to how we felt during Copa [América 2024, when they made a Cinderella run to the semifinals] – and for it to be Staqs as well, he's a heartbeat of this team,” said Minnesota United alum Tani Oluwaseyi.

“He works so hard on the field, one of our leaders off the field. So for it to be him that gets that goal, honestly, I think we're all just ecstatic; we’re all elated. I think we played really well in the game, and no one wants to go to extra time, especially. Guys' legs get tired, legs get heavy, especially on the four-day turnaround. So for it to go in like that, man, that's why we play this game, for sure.”

Mr. Reliable

That unforgettable moment was the crown jewel of a trademark Eustáquio engine-room performance: He also completed 90 percent of his 48 passes, including a game-high five chances created, and added five defensive contributions, six recoveries and a bevy of duels won.

This marked his 60th cap for Canada; he’s seen this program clamber up from profoundly humble circumstances to reach this lofty stage. Most powerfully of all, his joy and pride are a comfort after losing both of his parents in painful circumstances in the space of one year in 2023 and 2024, rocking him to his core and prompting deep reflections about his life and purpose.

“Steph is one of the people in the team that I think is the most reliable,” said head coach Jesse Marsch, “and understands what we're trying to achieve as a group, and understands how to manage moments and games and to be a leader, to be a true leader, obviously with everything that he's been through with his parents' passing away.

“The kind of family man he is, and the kind of person he is, I couldn't think of a more deserving human being – in a group of incredible human beings, maybe Steph is the most deserving to have a moment like that. So I'm really happy for him, and I think from somewhere his parents are looking down and they saw that.”

Special group

Now he and his comrades will watch the Netherlands and Morocco clash in Monterrey on Monday evening to learn which global heavyweight they will face in the Round of 16 on July 4 in Houston, where they’ll try to keep dreaming for one more night.

“We have a special group. We feel like we are brothers, and at the same time, when we fight for each other, when we play for each other, special things like this can happen,” explained Eustáquio, who joined LAFC in February on loan from Portuguese powerhouse FC Porto. “I'm over the moon, but at the same time, I don't want to say that the job's finished.

“We know that we're going to get Morocco or Netherlands, which is going to be a very hard game. And we hope that when they saw the game back home, that they felt that next week the game is going to be very tough for them.”