As It Happens6:09Mauro Eustáquio describes watching his brother’s history-making Word Cup goal
Mauro Eustáquio says watching his brother make Canadian soccer history at the World Cup is a moment he’ll never forget.
Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustáquio scored in the second minute of stoppage time during Sunday’s game in Los Angeles, claiming a 1-0 win against South Africa and sending Canada to the Round of 16 for the first time in FIFA Men’s World Cup history.
Mauro Eustáquio, head coach of the Inter Toronto Football Club, has been watching his little brother play soccer since they were kids growing up between Canada and Portugal. And he was watching again on Sunday from a pub in Toronto.
Here is part of his conversation with As It Happens host Nil Köksal.
At this point, how many times do you think you’ve watched that goal from your brother?
I’ve watched it a couple of times, to be honest. Yesterday, it was a handful. Today, it’s been a handful.
And does it get old at all?
It doesn’t. Funny enough, every time I watch it or someone sends it to me, there’s always something new that I find on the goal. I look at someone else enjoying it. It’s a moment that brought so much joy to so many people that you won’t get tired of it any time soon.
Canada’s men’s senior soccer team is headed to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup 2026. Stephen Eustáquio scored the winning goal in stoppage time to lift the Canadians past South Africa 1-0. CBC’s Dale Manucdoc has more on the game and how fans in Toronto are reacting to the historic win.
The people I was watching with in Toronto were certainly enjoying it in the moment, and in the replays. You were watching in Toronto as well. What did you do?
I was with my staff. We were watching it at a local pub and, yeah, it was unreal. Just everybody supporting the team and being behind the game. It was special.
After they leave the pitch, they’re back in the locker room, do you then speak to your brother?
Yeah, I got the phone call. He was still in the locker room. Obviously, emotions were extremely high.
He looked at me and he’s like, “Mauro, I’m dead.” He was just physically exhausted.
I think, at that point, he didn’t realize how special that goal was for a lot of people, and he was just extremely happy that the team went through. To be honest, he wasn’t thinking about himself, wasn’t thinking about the goal.
He was just like, “Mauro, what a game. What a sensation.”
Have you been hearing from people in Portugal, in Nazaré, in particular?
A lot of people, obviously, have been reaching out to him and I. The ones that are closer to us know how important this tournament was for him, how well he prepared himself to be here and also the sacrifices that he had to make professionally to get minutes and to come to the World Cup fit and then ready to play.
So it’s just a very good moment and a very good feeling to know that everything that he’s done in the past six months have paid off.
I was watching an interview from several months ago that you gave, you and your brother gave, together to One Soccer, and it’s so clear, the closeness. How did you come to be that close, and that much of a team?
We’ve always had a very good relationship and, obviously, bouncing around as a family from between Canada and Portugal at a young age, you don’t really have friends everywhere you go. And I think, you know, we played together, we grew together, we went on adventures together.
That bond just grew with time and, obviously, then we had some episodes that just brought us closer.
Making that decision to play for Team Canada, how did he decide that? Or did you decide together?
It’s something that he always knew that he wanted. Obviously, he was born here. He had the opportunity to play for the U-21s for Portugal, and he had good tournaments for them. But the reality is, when the opportunity came upon, when he got the call from coach [John] Herdman to be a part of the national team, I think he made that decision quite quickly.
He saw the opportunity. He knew exactly what he wanted. He knew exactly who he wanted to represent. And that’s what he’s doing.
Yesterday, I believe it was his 60th international game, and I think we can say in all 60, he’s fought for his colours.
Stephen Eustáquio — quiet, steady, unheralded — scored in the second minute of stoppage time to claim a historic 1-0 win for Canada.
Have you sensed that shift already just in 24 hours, though, from the headlines? Obviously, you’re both known in the soccer and football worlds, but this is another level of name recognition now. Are you sensing that?
He definitely has sensed it.
This sport has has given so much to us, has taken a lot from us as well. But the reality is it’s the biggest tournament in the world. It’s the biggest stage in the world. And not only him, but I think Canadian soccer is now getting exposed, is getting known — and it’s really really good to see.
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