Eustáquio goes global: from Sérgio Conceição to the NBA MVP | OneFootball

Stephen Eustáquio is, right now, the standout name in Canada. The FC Porto midfielder and captain of the Canucks scored the goal that sealed the national team’s historic first-ever qualification for the round of 16 at the 2026 World Cup and did not hide his emotion, first on the pitch and then on social media.

The 29-year-old player shared a photo on Instagram from the Canadian national team’s dressing room, where he appears visibly emotional with the man-of-the-match trophy beside him, an image that has sparked a huge wave of reactions.

In addition to already racking up more than 250,000 ‘likes’ – Eustáquio has around 171,000 followers – the post was also commented on by nearly 5,500 people, including several figures from the football world… and beyond.

Besides several national team teammates, including Moise Bombito – «I’m going to name my son Antunes [one of the Portuguese-Canadian’s surnames]!», wrote the Nice centre-back – several FC Porto players also left messages of affection for their teammate, who will return to Olival after the World Cup. João Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Samu and Pablo Rosario are just a few examples, as are other players who shared the Dragão with Stephen: Otávio, Toni Martínez and Wendell, among others.

But one of the comments that drew the most attention was from Sérgio Conceição, who coached Eustáquio at FC Porto for two and a half years and stood by him through very difficult personal moments, such as the death of his parents: «Very well deserved. I always knew your ambition and your work would take you far. A Hero. A hug.»

On a more curious note, it is also worth mentioning that even the NBA MVP, Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, player for the Oklahoma City Thunder, reacted to Eustáquio’s post with the goat emoji – a reference to the acronym GOAT (Greatest of All Time).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.