Canada booked a historic place in the FIFA World Cup 2026™ quarter-finals after Stephen Eustaquio’s dramatic stoppage-time strike secured a 1-0 victory over South Africa in a tense Round of 32 clash at Los Angeles Stadium.
The first knockout match of the tournament produced several memorable storylines, including Canada’s maiden World Cup knockout victory, Alphonso Davies’ emotional return to the stadium where he suffered a serious injury 15 months ago, and heartbreak for South Africa, whose impressive tournament run came to an agonising end.
With both teams locked in a tactical battle for much of the contest, extra time appeared inevitable as South Africa defended resolutely against relentless Canadian pressure. However, in the 92nd minute, Eustaquio finally found the breakthrough, sending Canadian supporters into wild celebrations and earning the Michelob Ultra Superior Player of the Match award.
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“I never saw the time,” Eustaquio admitted after the match.
“It’s a tough stadium, and I don’t think we could really see the game clock. I was looking during the hydration breaks to figure out how much time was left, but when I scored, I knew it was close to the end.”
The goal was Eustaquio’s first for Canada since late 2023 and his fourth on American soil, following three goals during the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup. It was also arguably the most significant goal of his international career.
“We worked so hard for this victory,” he said.
“We really wanted to give this win to all Canadians. We just kept believing and kept pushing. When I hit the shot, it felt like everybody shot with me. Everybody put a little bit of power into it, and it ended up in the back of the net.”
Despite the historic achievement, the Canadian midfielder insisted the team remains focused on going even further in the tournament.
“Our belief started when we came out of the group stage,” he said.
“In a World Cup knockout match, belief plays a huge part. Now we’ll face either Morocco or the Netherlands, and who knows? On a good day, anything can happen.
“We have a special group. We feel like brothers, and when we fight for each other, special things can happen. I’m over the moon, but the job’s not finished.”
For South Africa, the defeat marked a heartbreaking conclusion to an inspiring World Cup campaign. Bafana Bafana frustrated Canada for more than 90 minutes and looked set to force extra time before Eustaquio’s late intervention ended their dream of reaching the quarter-finals.
Canada will now await the winner of the Round of 32 encounter between Morocco and the Netherlands as they continue their remarkable FIFA World Cup 2026 journey.