American content creator and live streamer Eshoo Speed risked breaking a strict vow he had made to himself in a desperate attempt to catch up with Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo and support him from the stands.
Ronaldo led the Portuguese national team against Croatia in the early hours of Friday morning in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup, in a match held at BMO Field in Toronto, Canada. Speed tried to document the event on his social media accounts, as he had done in several matches since the start of the tournament.
The ordeal began for the 21-year-old YouTuber, known for his fervent love for Ronaldo and his constant pursuit of him in stadiums around the world, even when playing for his Saudi club Al-Nassr. His flight to Canada was canceled, prompting him to urgently seek help on the X platform, asking if anyone in San Francisco had a private jet that could fly him immediately to Toronto so he wouldn’t miss the chance to see his idol.
Had Speed succeeded in securing his trip, it would have been his first visit to Canada, after he publicly vowed in May 2025 that he would never set foot on Canadian soil due to a family matter following the murder of his grandfather by a Canadian citizen.
Despite this sensitive personal situation, the popular YouTube streamer raced against time to begin his scheduled live stream an hour before kickoff of the highly anticipated match, which ended in a 2-1 victory for Portugal.
This visit was part of an extensive tour by Speed that included attending several World Cup matches in the United States in collaboration with FIFA. Prior to the tournament, he met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino, pledging to cover all of Portugal’s matches in the current World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The 2026 World Cup likely represents the last chance for the 41-year-old Ronaldo to lift the elusive trophy that has eluded his already illustrious collection. He will be 45 by the 2030 edition, which Portugal will co-host.
Speed had confidently predicted Ronaldo’s World Cup victory after Portugal’s triumph in the UEFA Nations League in June 2025, stating in previous media interviews that the Nations League title was merely an appetizer for the main course: the World Cup. He was banking on the strength of the current Portuguese squad.
After his initial flight from San Francisco to Toronto, Canada (where the match was held at Toronto Stadium) was canceled, followed by the cancellation of a second alternative flight, Speed appealed to his followers on the X platform for help in securing a private plane to attend the match and see his idol, Ronaldo. However, his efforts were unsuccessful in getting him to the stadium in time.
He ended up watching and enthusiastically reacting to the match from a World Cup fan gathering in San Francisco.
This canceled trip sparked considerable controversy because Speed had previously stated publicly in his broadcasts that he would never visit Canada, claiming that his grandfather was killed by a Canadian soldier. However, he decided to break this personal promise solely to support Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo in the World Cup knockout stages.
