Canadian hero Stephen Eustaquio is confident to challenge either the Netherlands or Morocco.

Canada men's national team sealed their progression to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after knocking out South Africa with a dramatic 1-0 victory. Stephen Eustaquio emerged as the match hero with a late goal, which also sent a warning signal to their potential next opponents: Netherlands or Morocco.

Eustaquio's only goal of the fixture arrived in the 90+2nd minute of this Round of 32 clash, which took place at Los Angeles Stadium, United States on Monday. Following this win, Canada now awaits the final result of the Netherlands vs Morocco tie to confirm their next round opponent.

After booking Canada's place in the last 16, Eustaquio showed enormous confidence. The 29-year-old midfielder confirmed that Canada are fully prepared to face whichever side advances from the Netherlands against Morocco match.

Stephen Eustaquio Issues Warning To Netherlands And Morocco

"We will make both Morocco and Netherlands take proper notice of the way we play. If they qualify, they are going to get the hardest match they will face at this entire World Cup," Eustaquio stated post-match, as quoted by FIFA.

This statement reflects the widespread optimism within the squad nicknamed The Canucks, who have delivered consistently impressive performances throughout the tournament.

Stoppage Time Goal Seals Canada's Win

The clash against South Africa was fiercely contested from kick-off. Both sides created clear goal scoring opportunities, but the deadlock was only broken once the match entered injury time.

Eustaquio proved the difference when he fired an effort that South Africa's goalkeeper could not keep out. This 90+2 minute goal secured Canada's spot in the Round of 16, while keeping alive their hopes of pulling off further upsets at the 2026 World Cup.

Despite netting the winning goal, Eustaquio stressed this positive result was earned through the collective hard work of every player on the Canadian roster.

"We fought incredibly hard for this win. We really wanted to give this victory to every single person back home in Canada. We never stopped believing, we never stopped fighting," he said.

Eustaquio Dedicates Goal To The Whole Squad

For Eustaquio, the goal he scored was not an individual achievement, but the end result of combined effort from every teammate who battled for the full duration of the match.

"That was a special goal. When I hit that shot, it felt like every single one of us was kicking that ball together. Everyone put a little piece of their energy into that strike, right until it crossed the line. I am just so happy," Eustaquio commented.

Canada now await confirmation of their Round of 16 opponent. Eustaquio remains confident that Jesse Marsch's side are capable of delivering another major upset in the knockout phase.

"I believe we have done exceptional work up to this point, and next week's match is going to be something really special," he added.