On June 29, Canadian star Alphonso Davies spoke to an interview by FIFA, reflecting on Canada's victory over South Africa, their historic qualification for the World Cup Round of 16, and his excitement about making his 2026 World Cup debut.

For Alphonso Davies, this return to Los Angeles Stadium could not have been scripted more perfectly.

It was at this stadium that Davies suffered an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear and an additional knee injury during the CONCACAF Nations League final in March 2025, sidelining him for eight months.

However, this long-awaited return culminated in the most fulfilling outcome.

After recovering from a previous hamstring injury, Davies came on as a second-half substitute, making his 2026 World Cup debut and experiencing no issues during the match.

Not only that, but he also helped Canada defeat South Africa 1-0, securing their first-ever qualification for the World Cup Round of 16.

Although Canada faced a tough battle against South Africa, the match ultimately delivered a dramatic finish.

In the 92nd minute of stoppage time, Eustáquio, who plays for LAFC in MLS, struck a spectacular volley into the corner, securing the victory and sending Canada into the next round.

After the match, Davies told FIFA: "The final outcome was incredible. When I came on, the team needed fresh energy. I think the coach's timing for the substitution was spot on, and it ultimately helped us win."

Eustáquio's volley was struck perfectly into the corner—a truly beautiful, world-class goal. We are all very excited and happy to continue in this World Cup.

After Eustáquio scored, the entire Canadian team rushed onto the field in wild celebration—a moment Davies will never forget.

He said: "You could see everyone rushing on because this victory means so much to us. This is our second consecutive World Cup appearance, and we didn't meet our expectations last time."

"For most of the players, this is a dream come true. We want to keep going and continue writing our World Cup story."

For Davies personally, this World Cup debut was long overdue.

After missing the first three matches due to injury, he has finally made his debut and admits the feeling is one of both relief and excitement.

He said: "This period has been very difficult. For the first three games, I was on the sidelines watching, just as I had been in the warm-up matches before that."

"It was really tough, but I always believed my opportunity would come. I just needed to be patient and keep training hard. The team and coaching staff gave me time to recover, and my teammates' excellent performances created the opportunity for me to be on the field today. I'm truly grateful to them."

Asked how far Canada could go in this World Cup, Davies said confidently: "It's up to us. We know very strong opponents await us—whether it's the Netherlands or Morocco."

"But for us, anything is possible. This team has the talent and a strong desire to win."

"The most important thing over the next few days is to recover physically as quickly as possible and then focus fully on our next opponent."

Notably, Davies made his return to the national team at Los Angeles Stadium, the same venue where he had previously suffered a severe ACL injury.

Asked whether this successful return meant the shadow of injury had completely lifted, Davies replied with a smile: "You could say that. However, I believe that one day in my career, I'll come back here to play again. So you could also say this chapter isn't really over—new stories will definitely be written in the future."

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