The first team to reach the round of 16 has been decided! Canada, the "off-site host," is setting team history with every step.

Written by Han Bing 69,000 fans at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium saw Canada and the World Cup make history together. In the 92nd minute, Portuguese-heritage midfielder Stephen Eustáquio struck a long-range volley, sealing a 1-0 win over South Africa. It was Canada's first World Cup knockout victory and their debut in the round of 16. Six days later in Houston, USA, Canada will face the winner of the Netherlands vs. Morocco match in the round of 16.

Having lost their final group match to Switzerland and finishing second, Canada could not stay in their home city of Vancouver for the knockout stage. However, as the first World Cup host to play outside their own country, their performance remained unaffected by the trip to Los Angeles. South Africa fought hard to push the game into extra time, but Eustáquio's long-range strike in the 92nd minute ended all suspense. Canada recorded 12 shots with 6 on target, compared to South Africa's 6 shots and 1 on target, showing a stronger desire to win.

This is not only Canada's first World Cup knockout win in history, but also the first for a CONCACAF team since Costa Rica in 2014. In 2014, Mexico and the USA both exited in the round of 16; in 2018, Mexico and in 2022, the USA also lost their first knockout matches. Costa Rica in 2014 needed a 5-3 penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw with Greece to advance to the quarterfinals.

The last CONCACAF team to win a World Cup knockout match in regular time was the USA in the 2002 Korea/Japan World Cup, beating Mexico 2-0 in a North American derby in the round of 16. The last CONCACAF team to defeat a non-CONCACAF opponent in a World Cup knockout match was Mexico, also as hosts in 1986, beating Bulgaria 2-0 to reach the quarterfinals.

After the match, Canada's American head coach Jesse Marsch gathered the entire team in a circle on the pitch and delivered an emotional victory speech: "Today you are heroes of Canada, heroes for all the kids in Canada who will play football in the future. Canadian football has a bright future because of you. You should be incredibly proud. You never gave up belief, you fought every minute and every moment." Marsch embraced midfielder Mathieu Choinière, who was unable to play due to a leg fracture but joined the celebrations on crutches. Then, with arms wide open, Marsch lingered on the field, savoring the greatest moment in Canadian football history.

After the game, Marsch specifically mentioned that Stephen Eustáquio's parents would be immensely proud of their son. Yet behind Eustáquio's joy in making history is an endless longing for his parents. His parents immigrated from Portugal to Ontario, Canada, where his father worked as a fisherman on Lake Erie and his mother in a local fish processing plant. In a country where hockey is the top sport, football was only popular within the Portuguese immigrant community, and that's where Eustáquio's passion for the game came from.

To support their son's football career, the whole family moved back to Portugal when Eustáquio was seven. His parents worked hard, while he spent five years honing his skills in lower leagues, making his debut in the Portuguese top flight at age 21. Eustáquio played for Canada's U17 national team, then switched to Portugal's U21 side. In 2019, shortly after joining Mexican giants Cruz Azul, the Canadian Soccer Association convinced him to return to Canada. He is the team's vice-captain; during the World Cup group stage, when captain Alphonso Davies was injured, Eustáquio took over the captaincy. In the 75th minute of the match against South Africa, Davies came off the bench, and Eustáquio handed him the armband.

His parents had a profound impact on Eustáquio's football journey; they worked hard all their lives to help him achieve his dreams. Sadly, his mother Esmeralda passed away from brain cancer in April 2023, and his father Armando died of a heart attack in May of the following year. Losing both parents within a year hit Eustáquio hard, and he even lost his sense of purpose. Ultimately, the birth of his daughter Benetia in 2024 reignited his passion for life.

After the match, Eustáquio, awarded Man of the Match, was in tears. He wished he could celebrate the victory with his parents like his teammates, but they are no longer here. They witnessed his glory days at Porto but did not live to see his World Cup pinnacle. Choking back sobs, Eustáquio expressed his longing: "Everything I do is for my parents, my girlfriend, my daughter, my brother, and my friends back home—for all of them." Canada coach Marsch also encouraged his history-making player: "I'm really happy for him. I think his parents are watching from above and seeing this moment."

For the "just-begun" sport of football in Canada, for the Canadian national team, and for Stephen Eustáquio himself, this is a historic moment worthy of unrestrained celebration.