Alphonso Davies admits being brought close to tears as Canada make World Cup history
By Luke Oluoch, June 29, 2026Canada’s national team skipper, Alphonso Davies, has described the sight of thousands of passionate Canadian football fans packing the stadium during their historic round of 32 World Cup win over South Africa as an experience he will never forget.
The Bayern Munich wing-back is certainly used to playing before massive crowds in the UEFA Champions League and the German Bundesliga. However, he was left in awe of the electric atmosphere as the North American co-hosts asserted their football prowess with a historic maiden round of 16 qualification to a World Cup.
The team edged South Africa 1-0 in the first round of the 32-encounter at the ongoing 2026 World Cup games.
Jesse Marsch’s side faced South Africa in a high-stakes round of 32 encounter, a matchup destined for the history books, as both nations were featuring in the World Cup knockout stages for the very first time.
While the hosts boasted a prolific scoring record leading up to the match, they had to be patient, waiting until deep in stoppage time when Stephen Eustáquio’s goal sealed a monumental victory for the country.
Davies returns
For Davies, who had been sidelined during the group stages due to a frustrating hamstring issue, the match marked a deeply personal milestone.
The star wing-back finally made his tournament debut, subbing on for Tajon Buchanan in the 75th minute to help guide Canada across the finish line against a resilient South African side.
“It was surreal because I have never seen so many Canadians at a football match before,” a visibly emotional Davies said after the final whistle. “It brought tears to my eyes.”
Feeling the grass beneath his boots at last brought immense relief to the skipper, who saluted the fans for their roaring ovation as he stood at the touchline, ready to make his 2026 World Cup bow.
‘Feeling like I was Messi’
“It was a good game for us, but while I was on the bench, my legs were itching because I was fully fit to play.
But when I stood up to warm up, the whole stadium erupted—the fans screamed so loud it felt like the ground was shaking. I have never experienced anything like that before. I’ve only seen Messi get that kind of reception.
I think I became like Messi in that moment. I saw what he did against Jordan, and I remembered I had to do the same for my country,” he added.
Canada, which is the co-host of the tournament, will next play the winner between Morocco and the Netherlands in the round of 16.