Canadian players hope to inspire others with historic World Cup run

LOS ANGELES — After yet another historic performance on Sunday, head coach Jesse Marsch told his team they’re all Canadian heroes.

It’s a weighty accolade for a soccer player, but one the Canadians are striving to live up to as they continue on their World Cup campaign.

“I think when we set out for this World Cup, the biggest message was that we’re trying to grow the game in Canada,” striker Tani Oluwaseyi said. “We’re trying to create opportunities for kids who want to be where we are right now, and I think we’re doing that.”

Canada topped South Africa 1-0 in a round-of-32 game on Sunday, marking the nation’s first-ever victory in a knockout game in the men’s tournament.

The game’s lone goal came off the foot of veteran midfielder Stephen Eustáquio in the second minute of stoppage time.

Watching the ball sail into the back of the net was a “moment of magic,” said defender Alistair Johnston.

“It’s one of those moments that you’ll never forget where you were. And look, I think for Canadian sports history, it’s going to be a moment where you’re going to kind of know where you were when that moment happened,” he said.

“That’s something that is not lost on us. We know that not only is this writing history in Canadian soccer, but in Canadian sport, and that’s something that you know is … really, it’s a magical.”

For midfielder Liam Millar, part of the magic came after the game when he saw his six-year-old daughter Reina in the stands.

“You always want to set good examples for your kids, so I try my best to set the best example I can when I’m out there,” he said. “Last game, when we lost (to Switzerland), my daughter was bawling her eyes out because we lost. So I was really happy to see her today, not crying in the stands when we won.

“I just want to do my family proud, I want to do Canada proud, and I’m trying my best every game to do that.”

The joy young Canadians have experienced through the tournament is a full-circle moment for defender Moïse Bombito.

“It feels good to inspire young kids, because I was one of them as well,” he said. “I was looking at other teams, other big players back in the days. And now that you can be able to make history and have people look at you and be like, ‘Yeah, I want to be like this guy when I grow up.’ It’s a proud moment, but also you want to stay hungry and do more, so that you can inspire even more people.”

There have been many firsts for Canada at the tournament.

The co-host nation staged the first-ever men’s World Cup game on home soil back on June 12 when the Canadians battled Bosnia-Herzegovina to a 1-1 draw in Toronto. The result marked the squad’s first-ever point in the tournament.

Les Rouges earned their first victory in Vancouver on June 18 when they thumped Qatar 6-0, then advanced to the knockout stage for the first time following a 2-1 loss to Switzerland on June 24.

“We’ve created history so many times this tournament,” said defender Luc de Fougerolles.

“We saw celebrations in the locker room around the country, and that was amazing to see, and kind of how the country’s got behind us in Vancouver. And even today, there was a great number of them out there, and we heard them, and we felt them. It feels amazing. It kind of makes us want to push harder and give them more exciting moments.”

There were celebrations in Canada’s locker room, too, with many players — including injured midfielder Ismaël Koné — dancing.

Koné’s leg was fractured in two places when he was tackled from behind during the game against Qatar, but after undergoing surgery, he rejoined the team and has been a visible presence.

“He’s not able to be part of us on the field, but off the field, he makes sure his presence is felt,” Oluwaseyi said. “We’re so happy that we get to play for him and just keep doing this for him.”

Canada will learn on Monday which soccer giant they’ll face in a round-of-16 matchup in Houston on Saturday. Perennial contenders the Netherlands will battle up-and-coming Morocco for the spot at a round-of-32 game in Monterrey, Mexico, on Monday night.

While the Canadians are elated about what they’ve accomplished so far in the tournament, they know there’s ample work yet, said Eustáquio.

“We don’t want to be on the moon right now. We have to be humble, we have to recover well, and we know that in six days we’re going to have a very tough team,” he said after Sunday’s win.

“But at the same time I think today we have to enjoy the fact that you know we made everybody back home proud.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2026.

Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press