Stephen Eustáquio #7

Profile

While others can claim to be the face of this Canadian team, Eustáquio is undoubtedly the heartbeat. A passionate leader, some of his best performances for club and country have come on the biggest stages, as he showed with Portuguese giants Porto, where he won multiple trophies. A tireless box-to-box runner, he brings huge versatility, equally adept as a box-crasher, a ball-progresser, a deep-lying defensive blocker, and even a centre-back – a coach's dream. Born in Ontario, not far from the US border, Eustáquio moved with his Portuguese parents back to Portugal when he was seven, where he began his journey into professional football. He moved from Porto to LAFC on loan in February this year, adding strength to their star-studded team. Canada teammate Richie Laryea says Eustáquio’s importance to the national side cannot be overstated: “He does a lot of the dirty work that people don't really recognise.”

Key stats