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INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 28: Stephen Eustaquio #7 of Canada celebrates scoring his team’s first goal with team mates during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round Of 32 match between South Africa and Canada at Los Angeles Stadium on June 28, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)
Jesse Marsch shared his reaction after Canada’s historic victory over South Africa in the Round of 32. Stephen Eustaquio was the hero, scoring in the 92nd minute with an excellent strike from outside the box. The World Cup co-hosts secure a spot in the Round of 16 for the first time.
Canada entered its Round of 32 matchup against South Africa as the betting favorite. However, the 2010 World Cup hosts controlled the match early.
It appeared as though the match was set to enter extra time and possibly penalties, but Eustaquio’s goal changed that. The goal sparked celebrations both in the stadium and across the country.
During a post-match huddle, Marsch shared a heartfelt message with his squad, telling them they were all Canadian heroes.
Jesse Marsch Reacts to Canada’s Historic Win Over South Africa at World Cup
After celebrating the win with his Canadian squad, Jesse Marsch shared his reaction. With the win, Canada advances to the Round of 16 at a World Cup for the first time.
Speaking with TSN, Marsch reflected on the hard work that went into the victory and the program as a whole.
“The game, we knew would get a little wild at some times because [South Africa] like to play in open space and sometimes in transition,” Marsch said. “They could be very difficult to deal with. We tried to make sure that we kept our structure and we tried to say could we still keep ramping up the level of the game and come from the bench and get stronger.”
He continued:
“The hard work from these guys, the character of them. They’re Canadian heroes. That’s what I told them at the end. They’re now Canadian heroes. I’m so happy for them.”
Marsch also pointed to the performances of Alphonso Davies and Moise Bombito, who returned from injuries. He said they played a key role and that he expects to get more minutes out of them in the Round of 16.
“Moise, you can see is really close to himself but not quite at one hundred percent yet. But, his performance for me in the 1st half was outstanding,” he said. “[Davies] has quality but he’ll bring a lift. And of course the opponent will have to worry about him, so I thought that’s what he did. And now, we’ll be able into invest more in him physically.”
Marsch Weighs in on Canada’s Round of 16 Match Against Netherlands vs. Morocco Winner
Marsch also shared his thoughts on Canada’s Round of 16 matchup against the winner of tomorrow’s Netherlands vs. Morocco match.
Canada will face the winner next Saturday at Houston Stadium.
While both nations are ranked higher in the FIFA rankings, Marsch believes his squad can pull off an upset. He will immediately begin his preparation and will be in attendance for the Round of 16 clash.
“I’m flying to Monterrey today to go see the game [between Netherlands and Morocco]. I’ll see it tomorrow, I’ll be in the stadium, I’ll check what’s going on,” Marsch told TSN post-match. “And then, we’re going to be ready to throw everything at a giant. Maybe it’s Netherlands, maybe it’s Morocco, but this is what I wanted. I wanted this [Canadian] team to show that they deserve the right to go after a giant and that’s what we’re gonna do.”
Giancarlo Aulino Giancarlo Aulino is sports writer who covers UFC for Heavy.com. He began writing for Heavy in 2025 after providing MMA coverage for Sportskeeda. Giancarlo is an experienced journalist and interviewer, having covered soccer clubs Toronto FC and Inter Toronto FC as a full-season reporter, and also producing sports coverage for Toronto radio station VIBE 105.5FM.
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