Stephen Eustáquio rejoined Canada’s national soccer team shortly after celebrating his wedding, underscoring his commitment to the squad as the team prepares for the upcoming Nations League matches. The midfielder, who married Constanca Damiao in Portugal, arrived in the team camp in Montreal just 48 hours after the ceremony, foregoing an extended honeymoon to participate in the September FIFA international window.
Eustáquio explained that while it would have been tempting to take a longer break, the ongoing club season and international commitments made the timing of the wedding and subsequent return the most practical option. The 29-year-old, who recently transferred from Porto in Portugal to Swansea City in Wales, said he wanted to honor the time granted by both his club and head coach Jesse Marsch by immediately contributing to the national team’s preparations.
Canada’s head coach Jesse Marsch acknowledged the different circumstances surrounding Eustáquio’s return compared to that of team captain Alphonso Davies, who is away on honeymoon following his own wedding in July. Davies’s decision to miss the September camps drew some criticism from Canadian fans, with calls for Eustáquio to assume the captaincy full-time. Marsch defended Davies, noting that he was involved in the decision and preferred the captain to return fully fit and focused, expected to happen during the November international window.
“Steph’s situation is a little bit different than Alphonso’s, but Steph really wanted to be here, and I appreciated that,” Marsch said. He also emphasized the importance of having Davies reintegrate completely when returning to international duty.
Eustáquio’s professionalism and leadership have been recognized by teammates, including defender Ralph Priso, who highlighted the midfielder’s role as a role model within the squad. “For a guy to have such a big moment in his life and then turn his focus around to the national team so quickly speaks to the importance that I think all of us Canadian players attribute to the national team,” said Priso.
The midfielder, who has served as Canada’s captain in Davies’s absence, featured as a substitute in Canada’s 1-0 friendly victory over Chile in Toronto last Saturday. He is expected to play again in the upcoming Nations League matches against Peru in Montreal and against the United States in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Eustáquio, who scored the winning goal in Canada’s round-of-32 World Cup victory over South Africa this past summer, said the team’s World Cup performance was just a stepping stone toward future success. “We’re happy about what we did, but the World Cup was just a bridge towards the future of us making more moments like that,” he said. Looking ahead to the next four-year cycle, he expressed optimism about the team’s potential to win a trophy for the country.