‘Dream come true for Canada’

Canada's long-held World Cup dream became reality on Monday as a dramatic stoppage-time winner secured a 1-0 victory over South Africa and sent Jesse Marsch's side into the Round of 16 for the first time in the nation's history.

The moment was made even more special by the return of captain Alphonso Davies, whose comeback at Los Angeles Stadium completed a remarkable personal journey.

The Bayern Munich full-back had not played at the venue since suffering a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury during the Concacaf Nations League finals in March 2025, an injury that sidelined him for eight months. Having also recently recovered from a hamstring problem, Davies made his first appearance of the FIFA World Cup as a second-half substitute and helped Canada see out one of the biggest victories in their football history.

"The ending was incredible," Davies said afterwards. "Coming on, we needed some energy and I think the coach made the substitutions at the right time. Eustaquio hit a beautiful volley into the corner. We're ecstatic right now and happy to be continuing in this tournament."

The celebrations reflected the significance of the achievement for a squad determined to make amends after an underwhelming campaign at Qatar 2022.

"You could see everyone running on to the pitch because it means so much to us," Davies said.

"This is our second World Cup in a row and the first one didn't really go as planned. For most of us, this is a dream come true and we want to continue this run and keep pushing forward."

For Davies, simply stepping back on to the pitch was a victory in itself. Forced to watch Canada's opening three matches from the sidelines, he admitted the wait had been frustrating.

"It was tough watching the first three games, even the friendly matches, but I knew my time would come," he said.

"I just had to stay patient and keep working. The team, the coach gave me the platform to take my time, and the boys did well to give me the opportunity to step on the pitch today."

Canada will now face either the Netherlands or Morocco in the last 16, but Davies believes his side can continue to surprise.

"The sky is the limit," he said. "We have talent in this team and we have motivation. The next few days will be important to recover and focus on our opponents."