Canada chase a first World Cup win as they open on home soil against Bosnia
Hosts Canada have never won a World Cup match, but as favourites against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto they have their best chance yet, even with Alphonso Davies a doubt.
Jun 12, 2026
Canada have been to a World Cup before, but they have never won a match at one. They get their best chance yet to change that on Friday, when they open the 2026 tournament against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto. For viewers in India, kick-off is 12:30am IST in the early hours of Saturday.
It is a landmark night for the host nation. This is the first men’s World Cup match ever played on Canadian soil, and Jesse Marsch’s side arrive in decent shape, unbeaten in 2026 and carrying an eight-match run without defeat into their opener.
A record begging to be broken
Canada’s World Cup history is short and painful. They lost all three games without scoring in 1986, then lost all three again in Qatar in 2022, which leaves them with six defeats from six and still waiting on a first point, never mind a first win. As co-hosts with an automatic place in the field, this is the campaign where that record is meant to fall.
Home advantage should help. Canada have an excellent home record at BMO Field, and a sold-out Toronto crowd will add to the occasion. The Opta supercomputer makes them clear favourites, giving them close to a 60 percent chance of winning the match.
David leads the line, Davies a doubt
Much of Canada’s threat runs through Jonathan David, the country’s all-time leading scorer. The striker, who joined Juventus last year, has 39 goals in 77 caps and ranks among the more dangerous forwards at the tournament. If Canada are going to break their duck, he is the likeliest man to do it.
The worry sits at the other end of the team sheet. Captain Alphonso Davies is a doubt as he works back from a hamstring problem, and has not featured for Canada since the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League. Marsch has found ways to win without him before, but being without your captain and best-known player for a home World Cup opener is hardly ideal.
Dzeko’s Bosnia will not be pushovers
Bosnia and Herzegovina are at a World Cup for only the second time, and they got here the hard way, seeing off Wales and then Italy on penalties in the European play-offs. Knocking out the four-time winners told you plenty about their nerve.
They are still led by Edin Dzeko, now 40 and his country’s all-time leading scorer, who was central to the qualifying run. Around him there is Bundesliga firepower in Stuttgart’s Ermedin Demirovic and a couple of promising young attackers in Esmir Bajraktarevic and Kerim Alajbegovic. Canada are favourites, but a team that just eliminated Italy will fancy its chances of spoiling the party.