Canada midfielder Stephen Eustaquio broke down in tears following his 92nd-minute winner against South Africa in Los Angeles, as the host nation became the first team to advance to the World Cup round of 16. The Porto loanee, currently playing for LAFC, was visibly emotional in a post-match interview when asked about the recent deaths of both his parents.
Emotional Post-Match Interview
TSN reporter Matthew Scianitti asked Eustaquio: 'I want to talk about you for a second. Everything you've been through. Losing both of your parents a few years ago. Your young daughter. I know you're in the moment. In the moments to come, in the years to come, how will you remember this? How are you remembering your family in this moment?'
Eustaquio, fighting back tears, replied: 'Everything I do is for my family, for my parents, for my girlfriend, for my daughter. For my brother. For my friends back home. For all of them.' Scianitti responded: 'Canada says thank you, Stephen.'
Family Tragedy and Personal Loss
Eustaquio lost his mother Esmeralda to brain cancer in 2023, and his father Armando died of a heart attack in 2024. His daughter was born in 2024, adding to the emotional weight of his first World Cup goal. Canada had never won a match at the World Cup before this tournament, but they progressed from the group stage with a win and a draw, securing their first ever knockout stage victory.
Manager Jesse Marsch's Emotional Speech
Canada manager Jesse Marsch delivered an emotionally charged speech to his players after the match, calling them 'Canadian heroes.' He said: 'Guys, think about the two years we've been together. Think about how we talked about sticking to the plan, sticking to who we want to be. Playing aggressive. Accessing your quality. You guys showing your character. You guys are Canadian heroes today. Canadian heroes, for the future children of this country, who play the sport. The sport has a big future because of you guys. You should be so proud of who you are. You should be so proud of this game. You never lost belief. You went after it. Point after point, moment after moment. You are Canadian heroes.'
Marsch Defends On-Field Speech
In a post-match press conference, Marsch responded to criticism that his on-field speech was 'performative.' He said: 'People like to say it's performative to meet on the pitch. Frankly I don't give a s**t what people have to say. All I care about is our own team and what we do together. In these moments it's hard because everybody gets pulled in a million different directions by media and you don't really have the chance to be with your team unless you take that moment right there. At different times we've shared messages with each other. I always try to get the leaders to speak. They're Canadian, this is their national team. But I wanted to be able to voice to them how an important moment this will prove to be for the sport in the country, for the national team programme.'
Next Challenge
Canada will face either Netherlands or Morocco in the round of 16 on Saturday, continuing their historic World Cup run.
