Alphonso Davies burst into tears of celebration as his Canada teammates qualified for the 2022 Fifa World Cup in Qatar.
The left-sided Bayern Munich player had been ruled out of the game as he continues his recovery from myocarditis, but chose to live stream his reaction to the game.
And his compatriots got the job done, beating Jamaica 4-0 to guarantee their place at a men’s World Cup for the first time since 1986.
Cyle Larin and Tajon Buchanan scored first-half goals before Junior Hoilett and an own goal from Adrian Mariappa put the result beyond doubt in Toronto.
The three points gained mean Canada are certain to finish in the top three of the final Concacaf qualifying group.
Davies has been absent from both club and country action since early January after being diagnosed with heart inflammation after contracting Covid.
The 21-year-old, watching on from afar as John Herdman guided his side to victory, could scarcely believe the size of the achievement.
Streaming live on Twitch, an overjoyed Davies said: “I’m going to the World Cup! We’re going to the World Cup, man!
“I cannot believe it. I’m tearing up. My dream has come true.”
Canada take on Panama on Thursday 31 March in their final qualifying fixture.
They are likely to be joined at the World Cup by the USA and Mexico, who need only a point from their respective final games to be sure of automatic progression.
The fourth-placed finisher, likely to be Costa Rica if they are beaten by the USA, advances to the inter-confederation play-offs in June.
Canada head coach John Herdman believes that qualification can help the country become a “powerhouse” footballing nation.
“We just qualified for the World Cup, this is a legit football country,” said Herdman, formerly a coach in Sunderland’s academy and of Canada’s women’s national team.
“When I first took over and I said, ‘We’re going to qualify for the World Cup’, I don’t think they believed us. I’m happy for them because all of these fans have waited and waited and waited, and hung in with us - and we’re going.
“I think this country never believed in us because we’ve given them nothing to believe in. They believe now.
“This is the time for everyone to get behind football and unite because we can be a powerhouse.”
