From the prime minister to sports celebrities and fans on social media, Canadians celebrated their team’s victory.
Canada is enjoying a historic run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and that momentum will continue thanks to Steven Eustaquio’s 92nd-minute goal against South Africa, which propelled the co-hosts into the World Cup’s last 16 for the first time.
The 29-year-old midfielder’s goal Sunday rewrote the history of Canadian football, capping a story that has been written since coach Jesse Marsh took over two years ago.
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“Think about how we talked about sticking to the plan, sticking to who you want to be, playing aggressively, accessing quality, showing your character,” an enthusiastic Marsh told his team as they surrounded him on the pitch after the win.
“You are Canadian heroes! You are Canadian heroes for the future children of this country who play this sport. This sport has a great future because of you.”
“You should be very proud of who you are. You should be very proud of this game. You followed it every second.”
Those words were echoed by Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had just gotten off the plane and watched the final minutes of the game on his cell phone.
“What a game. What a team. What a country,” Carney wrote on social media.
Premier Doug Ford of Ontario, where Eustaquio was born and raised before his family moved to Portugal, congratulated his team on advancing to the next round, as did Opposition Leader Pierre Poièvre.
“You gave your all, you gave your all on the field, and you gave all of us memories we will never forget,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a letter to the team.
Social media was flooded with footage of Canadian fans turning watch parties and fan festivals into seas of red. Even Los Angeles Stadium, where Canada traveled from the West Coast to play South Africa, was packed with fans cheering on their World Cup co-hosts.
Soccer fans and social media analysts said the victory felt surreal in Canada, where sports such as ice hockey, basketball and baseball are far more popular than soccer.
Fellow Canadian athletes also joined in the celebration on social media. Multi-time Olympic swimmer Summer McIntosh, tennis star Félix Auger-Aliassime and Olympic champion runner Andre de Grasse were some of Canada’s top athletes who cheered on the men’s soccer team after the victory.
Famous Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield also congratulated the team on Sunday after wishing them well.
FC Bayern has congratulated Alphonso Davies on his return to international duty after sustaining a hamstring injury in the UEFA Champions League semi-final in May. This match saw a noticeable change in pace and tactics when Davis came on as a substitute in the 74th minute.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa congratulated Canada on their opponent’s victory, which “cut the edge off Bafana Bafana.”
However, Bastian Schweinsteiger, a former German national soccer player who was criticized by Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fé for having racist overtones in his comments about the African team, seemed unfazed by Canada’s historic victory.
“Overall it wasn’t a convincing performance, but we’re moving forward thanks to clearer chances. Substitute Alphonso Davies brought a breath of fresh air,” he wrote on social media.
“But when we play against the Netherlands and Morocco, the team will have to improve significantly.”
