Canada's World Cup squad has deep ties to the Canadian Premier League.
Be that former teammates, friends, players coached or mentees, countless CPL players, coaches and staff will be cheering a little bit extra for certain members of the Canadian squad as they kick off the tournament on Friday at Toronto Stadium.
None of those connections, however, is quite as strong as those of Inter Toronto head coach Mauro Eustáquio and FC Supra du Québec attacker David Choinière. Over the next few weeks, both will see their younger brother pull on the Canada kit and represent the country on the world's biggest stage.
Stephen Eustáquio and Mathieu Choinière have both established themselves as key members of Jesse Marsch's squad. Now, they will make history at a home World Cup this summer.
"I think as a family we are so proud of him," said David Choinière of his brother. "It's reflected in all the work he's been doing all his life, it's well deserved, and it's such a special moment for the family too."
This will be Mathieu's first World Cup. But over the past few years, he has become an important player under Jesse Marsch. Two summers ago, he got the opportunity to represent Canada at the 2024 Copa América. In the semifinal, he came off the bench against Lionel Messi's Argentina, before going 90 minutes against Uruguay in the third-place game.
"It's pretty crazy, because every time he plays against the world's star players, after that I phone him and I'm like 'How was it to play against Messi, to play against [Federico] Valverde," said David. "Even for him, after the game, he's trying to get players' jerseys.
"But the thing that stands out for me is, those guys play for the best teams in the world, Real Madrid, Barça, whatever, and we can compete against them. They're still a human being, they're no different than us."
The younger Choinière was actually teammates at the club level with Stephen Eustáquio at LAFC as well in the months prior to the World Cup, with the latter on loan from Porto.
Eustáquio made that difficult decision to join LA after his minutes with Porto dried up. He knew he needed to be in game shape and peak confidence in order to help Canada as much as possible, even if it came with the personal sacrifice of spending large stretches away from his partner and young daughter back in Portugal.
Since Stephen appeared for Canada at the last World Cup in Qatar in 2022, the Eustáquios have had a difficult journey. During the tournament, their mother, Esmerelda, was fighting brain cancer. She passed in April 2023. Just over a year later, their father, Armando, also passed unexpectedly.
As he wears the family name on the back of his shirt throughout the tournament, Stephen carries their memory.
"Obviously, I wish we could have my family there, being able to support him, but he knows that he's playing for them," said Mauro. "Everything that they did was for us, and that fight, that grit that they showed us, you could see in Stephen.
"Extremely proud of what he's accomplished, extremely proud of how he's carried himself through those tough times, because it isn't easy. He's someone that emotionally is just a rock star."
Mauro got the special chance to experience a Canadian men's national team camp with his brother in September 2024 as an assistant coach. In a pair of friendlies, Canada defeated fellow World Cup hosts, the United States, 2-1, before a 0-0 draw with Mexico. There, he got a front-row seat to what makes this team so special — and what he now looks to implement in his Inter Toronto side.
"Jesse has created a very, very competitive team, monsters that want to compete, that want to perform for their country," said Eustáquio. "I think that when a coach sets the tone and then doesn't back down from what the plan is, players really have only one choice, either you're in or you're out."
David Choinièr is also proud to see his brother be part of an incredibly strong core of players from their home province. Mathieu, along with Ismaël Koné, Max Crépeau, Moïse Bombito and Nathan Saliba, are foundational members of the national team.
"It's surreal to see so many Québécois being part of the national team, and not just being part, they're excelling," said Choinière. "They're doing amazing with the national team, and at the world stage... they're world-class players, and also amazing human beings."
David, who moved back home this season to play for the CPL's first Québec team, FC Supra, says it is a transformational time for the sport in the province — and having these players represent it on the world stage is a big part of that.
The elder Choinière will remain in Montréal during the World Cup break, as their family will soon be growing further, but will be passionately cheering on his brother from afar.
"Sadly, I can't follow him around the country to watch him play, because my wife is expecting a daughter soon," said David. "The due date is too close, but I'll follow him from the TV, and I'll cheer for him and the country."
Mauro Eustáquio also knows he can't quite go hopping coast to coast as he continues to build his Inter Toronto side. But he will be in attendance on Friday as Canada host Bosnia and Herzegovina in their World Cup opener. As the coach of a club in a World Cup city, he absolutely cannot wait to see the buzz that it brings to soccer in the region.
"Most importantly, I think we have to enjoy what the World Cup is, what having Canada play in Toronto is, and that's something I'll definitely be doing," he said.
