STEPHEN EUSTAQUIO’s eyes welled up with tears when remembering his parents after firing Canada to the World Cup last 16.
Eustaquio, 29, was the joint-host nation’s hero on Jattvibeday as his 92nd-minute strike sealed a narrow win over South Africa.
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Stephen Eustaquio held back tears during his post-match interview
Eustaquio fired Canada to victory over South Africa in the 92nd minute Credit: Getty
It was a moment the Ontario-born midfielder would have loved to share with beloved parents Esmeralda and Armando.
But the fabric of his tight-knit family was torn apart when both of them died within a year of each other.
Esmeralda was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022 and died the following year.
Then, in 2024, Armando suffered a heart attack and passed away suddenly.
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So it is no wonder Eustaquio was overcome with emotion when asked during a post-match interview how he was remembering his loved ones on a day that will stick with him for the rest of his life.
He said: “Everything I do is for my parents, for my girlfriend, for my daughter, for my brother, for my friends back home – for all of them.”
Eustaquio shed more light on his mother’s heartbreaking ordeal during the Copa America in 2024.
He admitted: “She was suffering. And there was this time when it was not healthy even for her. It was not healthy for my dad because he was on top of everything and trying to help her. It was not healthy for us.”
Eustaquio was mobbed by team-mates after his vital winner Credit: AFP
Tragedy has brought Eustaquio closer to his older brother, Mauro, and made him even more passionate about playing for his girlfriend, Constanca, and their young daughter Benedita.
Eustaquio was born in Canada but as a child the family relocated to Portugal, where his parents grew up.
His mum ferried him around the country to football matches while his dad worked at sea.
So it was a huge moment for the whole family when Eustaquio, who came through in Portugal’s lower leagues, was snapped up by giants Porto in 2022.
Eustaquio was loaned to Los Angeles FC earlier this year and vice-captains Canada at this summer‘s World Cup.
He will be one of Jesse Marsch‘s key men when the Maple Leafs play either the Netherlands or Morocco in the last 16.
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Football icons Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are showing no signs of slowing down, on what looks to be the pair’s final World Cup.
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