'You are Canadian heroes' - the forgotten hosts making World Cup history
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- Stephen Eustaquio scored in stoppage time to seal Canada's first-ever World Cup knockout victory over South Africa, sending them through to the last 16 in Los Angeles.
- Canada entered the knockout stage unbeaten against Bosnia-Herzegovina (draw) and Qatar (6-0 thrashing) before a group-stage loss to Switzerland, improving on a pre-tournament World Cup record of played six, lost six.
- Coach Jesse Marsch gathered his squad in a full-time huddle and called them "Canadian heroes," saying the moment would prove pivotal for the sport in a country where ice hockey dominates.
- Captain Alphonso Davies said he cried seeing Toronto packed with fans in red and white for the Bosnia-Herzegovina opener — "I've never seen so many Canadians at a football match before."
- Canada became the first World Cup host to play a knockout match outside their own country, forced to relocate to Los Angeles because their stadium wasn't hosting this round.
- Marsch called Canada's next test — against either the Netherlands or Morocco — a "free hit," framing it as a chance to face one of the "giants of the world."
- Fans quoted by BBC said the country is shifting from "soccer" to "football," with supporter Sean noting growing interest beyond Toronto's traditional soccer strongholds.
Why it matters: Canada went from a six-game, six-loss World Cup history to a knockout-stage win in one tournament, with Davies, Marsch, and travelling fans all signaling a cultural shift in a country long defined by hockey — meaning football's commercial and grassroots footprint in Canada could expand well beyond Toronto after this run.
