Stephen Eustáquio: World Cup profile | Canada & LAFC midfielder | OneFootball

By Justin Ruderman

Meet Stephen Eustáquio.

Canada's vice-captain hopes to lead his country to glory on home soil at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Eustáquio is one of four MLS midfielders on the CanMNT roster, alongside Mathieu Choinière (LAFC), Jacob Shaffelburg (LAFC) and Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC).

MLS background

After spending nearly his entire professional career in Portugal, primarily with powerhouse FC Porto, Eustáquio joined LAFC on loan from the Portuguese giants in February. His deal lasts through June with a purchase option.

Part of a larger Canadian contingent in Los Angeles under new head coach Marc Dos Santos, Eustáquio plays with compatriots Choinière, Shaffelburg, Ryan Raposo and Thomas Hasal.

Earlier this year, he helped LAFC reach the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals.

Awards & stats

LAFC schedule

International experience

Eustáquio has worn the armband for Canada in each of his last five appearances.

The all-action midfielder is a metronome in the center of the park for Les Rouges, having played a key role in many tournaments for his country.

That includes the Concacaf Gold Cup, Concacaf Nations League, Copa América and 2022 World Cup.

World Cup schedule

Canada are in Group B alongside Bosnia & Herzegovina, Qatar and Switzerland.

The 2026 World Cup has expanded from the usual 32 nations to 48 total. The top two teams advance from each group, and the top eight third-place finishers also make the knockout phase (Round of 32).

The tournament, which is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, spans from June 11 to July 19.

World Cup history

Canada have made two previous World Cup appearances (1986, 2022), exiting at the group stage without a point in each edition.

How Canada qualified

Canada earned automatic qualification as one of three tournament co-hosts, alongside Mexico and the United States.