Ottawa FIFA World Cup fans celebrated 'historic' Canada win at home

Canadian supporters, including Deborah and Paul Thériault, gathered at Pubblico Eatery to cheer on Canada's men's national soccer team during its FIFA World Cup match against South Africa, Sunday, June 28, 2026. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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Deborah Thériault showed up to Pubblico Eatery with her husband Paul hours before Canada’s scheduled 3 p.m. face off against South Africa. The couple was committed to finding seats to watch Canada’s FIFA World Cup game at the busy Wellington West bar.

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Pubblico was jam-packed with local Canadian fans. Most wore red, while others had Canada’s official soccer team jerseys, and enjoyed a pint of beer with their eyes peeled out for one of the seven TV screens live-streaming the event.

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The game was Canada’s first-ever match in the knockout stage of the country’s men’s FIFA World Cup. “It was so exciting,” Thériault said. Her husband Paul agreed.

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Canadian supporters, including Deborah and Paul Thériault, gathered at Pubblico Eatery to cheer on Canada’s men’s national soccer team during its FIFA World Cup match against South Africa Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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The first half of the game passed with not much action and the second half ebbed and flowed in its excitement. But it was at the 11th hour, two minutes past the 90-minute mark that Stephen Eustáquio scored Canada’s first and only goal.

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Ronwen Williams #1 of South Africa fails to save a shot from Stephen Eustaquio #7 of Canada (obscured) as he scores his team’s first goal. Photo by Emilee Chinn /Getty Images

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He was at the Los Angeles Stadium, but the crowd fell in love with him through the screen.

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Devin Stratton and Scott Saunders, two friends at the pub, said the goal was “an absolute strike by Eustáquio.”

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Stratton said he couldn’t be happier to witness Canada’s win on Sunday. “With the history of the program, it wasn’t too long ago (Canada) was loosing 8-1 to Honduras and the World Cup dreams were shattered, and now they qualified last time the right way, we host this time, and we make it to round 16 … it’s incredible.”

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Saunders said he felt the pressure was on once those 90 minutes were over. “Everything kind of shifted when Davies came on in the late minutes,” he said. “Canada was showing pressure for the last half, and they got it done. Eustáquio is such a beauty.”

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Rani Aramoui, co-owner of Pubblico Eatery, said him and co-owner Rod Castro know 90 per cent of those who showed up to cheer for Canada Sunday — by name. Aramoui was plastered by the door, with his one hand glued to the door. He’d open it whenever someone tried to get in or out of the bar.

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Pub owner Rod Castro was kept on his toes filling drink orders, while still catching the odd moment of play between orders. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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“Someone has to do it,” he said. The bar had come a long way since it first opened right before the pandemic, about seven years ago. Aramoui said the community always turned up at big sporting events when Canada played.

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Deborah Thériault praised Team Canada’s American coach Jesse Marsch for his last-minute decision to rope in, who she thought was Canada’s best player, Alphonso Davies.

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Canadian supporters gathered at Pubblico Eatery to cheer on Canada’s men’s national soccer team. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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Dustin Turgeon, another soccer fan at the bar, said Davies injected the energy the team desperately needed in the last moments leading up to what he described as a “historic” win for Canada.

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Turgeon, who is a regular at the local eatery, said he was excited that Canada has made it this far for the first time in its history at the World FIFA games.

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Turgeon said soccer means “everything” to him. He said he was a big soccer fan growing up, watching it all of his life and playing it when he was younger. “It’s my go-to sport,” he said. “So it’s kind of everything to me.”

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“I make sure I watch every single (Canada) game,” he said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I’ll be back here next week.”

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Turgeon, Thériault, Saunders and Stratton all said they were coming back at Pubblico for Canada’s next matchup game next week Sunday at 1 p.m.

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Canadian supporters, including Thom Panikorn, filled Pubblico Eatery to cheer on Canada’s men’s national soccer team. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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Canadian supporters, including Mario Hamameh (second from right), filled Pubblico Eatery. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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Canadian supporters, including Taylor Fantin, filled Pubblico Eatery to cheer on Canada’s men’s national soccer team during its FIFA World Cup match against South Africa. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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Canadian supporters gathered at Pubblico Eatery to cheer on Canada’s men’s national soccer team during its FIFA World Cup match against South Africa. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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Canadian supporters, including Jason Meehan and Taylor Fantin, gathered at Pubblico Eatery to cheer on Canada’s men’s national soccer team during its FIFA World Cup match against South Africa. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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Canadian supporters gathered at Pubblico Eatery to cheer on Canada’s men’s national soccer team during its FIFA World Cup match against South Africa, Sunday, June 28, 2026. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

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