MONTREAL — Stephen Eustaquio had barely finished celebrating his wedding when it was time to get back to work with Canada’s national team.
The steady midfielder could have easily taken a few more days to unwind in Portugal with his new wife, Constanca Damiao. Instead, Canada’s vice-captain flew across the Atlantic to join his teammates for the September FIFA international window, some 48 hours after tying the knot.
“Yeah, I could have gone somewhere else, at the beach or something, but at the same time, I’m in season,” Eustaquio said following training Tuesday in Montreal.
Eustaquio’s presence in camp so soon after his wedding comes while Canada captain Alphonso Davies is away honeymooning — and having a kickabout on the beach — following his late July marriage.
The Bayern Munich star’s break from the national team was met with bits of negative reaction from Canadian soccer fans online, with some suggesting Eustaquio should wear the armband full-time.
While the two newlywed scenarios create an awkward contrast for Canada, coach Jesse Marsch has continued to defend Davies while taking ownership of the decision.
“Steph’s situation is a little bit different than Alphonso’s, but Steph really wanted to be here and I appreciated that,” Marsch said. “We talked about different things about honeymoons and what was necessary, but he felt like he could get married and then get here and be part of the team.”
“And Alphonso’s decision, actually, I played a role in it because he was thinking about coming back and being around for a part of it,” he added. “But it would have been late in the camp and I just, as much as we want him here, I want to make sure that when he does reintegrate and come back in that he’s in all the way. So that’ll be the idea for November.”
Eustaquio said he was uncertain where he would be playing at the club level when planning his wedding, making the September international break the most practical opportunity.
The World Cup hero in Canada’s historic round-of-32 victory over South Africa this past summer eventually settled on a move from Portuguese side Porto to Welsh club Swansea, which, along with Marsch, extended him some time off.
“The best way to show my gratitude towards that decision was to come and still help the team build up towards the Nations League,” Eustaquio said, adding that everything went well with the wedding and his quick turnaround.
“I knew that it was gonna be a big moment in my life, so I took advantage of the moment, had a very good time with my wife now and my daughter, and then Thursday I came here.”
The 29-year-old stalwart then came on as a substitute in Canada’s 1-0 friendly win over Chile last Saturday in Toronto. He should feature again versus Peru at Montreal’s Stade Saputo this Saturday, before Canada ends its three-match window next Tuesday in St. Paul, Minn., against the United States.
Eustaquio’s commitment, defender Ralph Priso said, hasn’t gone unnoticed by his teammates.
“He’s a leader, he’s an important guy in the team. He’s a guy that everyone kind of looks at as an example, as a role model,” said Priso. “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.
“As kind of a newer guy, it shows you the importance of what you’re stepping into and what representing the team and the country means.”
Eustaquio has already served as Canada’s skipper for much of the past two years, including the majority of the World Cup, filling in for the oft-injured Davies, who played just 17 minutes at the global showcase.
Davies has since returned to action with Bayern Munich following a string of leg injuries, while Eustaquio is off to a solid start with Swansea in England’s second tier, tallying one goal and one assist through six appearances.
Eustaquio said he’s been recognized more often since half-volleying home Canada’s winner against South Africa at the World Cup, but he quickly moved on from the achievement. His focus now is on helping Canada begin the next World Cup cycle on the right foot.
“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. “I’m very happy that the team had a World Cup like that, but at the same time we know that, if possible, during these four years to get a trophy for the country would be amazing.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2026.
Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
