TORONTO – It’s the biggest, most historic match in the history of the Canadian men’s team.
Unlike the Canadian women, the men’s side has never had the pleasure of playing a World Cup game on home soil. But that’s what awaits Jesse Marsch’s squad on Friday when it finally kicks off its 2026 World Cup campaign versus Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field after months of tireless preparation.
“I just want the game to start. We’ve been practising and pushing and speaking about tactics. Speaking about the opposite teams. Speaking about ourselves. Speaking about the moment. Speaking about the country. … The moment is now. I feel like the work has been done. So, I can’t wait to get it started,” Canadian midfielder Ismaël Koné said this week.
The eyes of the soccer world will be firmly focused on Canada for its Group B opener, a match with a lot riding on it for the host nation. Canada is No. 30 in the current FIFA world rankings, well ahead of Bosnia (No. 64) and fellow Group B opponent Qatar (No. 56), but behind perennial World Cup participant Switzerland (No. 19).
The top two nations from each of the 12 first-round groups advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup, as do the eight-best third teams. Four points should guarantee a spot in the round of 32 for Canada, which has lost all six of its previous matches at the World Cup (1986 and 2022).
Qatar is the weakest team in Group B, and based on its overall quality and depth of talent, it’s a very winnable game for Canada, which should collect three points. But Canada would still have to gain one point from its other two matches to give it the best chance of moving on.
A first World Cup victory or a draw against Bosnia would put the Canadian men’s team in a very strong position to qualify for the knockout stage, especially with captain Alphonso Davies expected to miss the opener while he recovers from a hamstring injury.
Here are three things to look for in Friday’s World Cup match between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Canada needs Jonathan David and Cyle Larin to step up
Jonathan David (39 goals) and Cyle Larin (30 goals) are the top two scorers in the history of the Canadian men’s team, but both are mired in terrible slumps.
Larin has gone 14 consecutive games for Canada without scoring, his last goal coming in 2024. David scored a pair of goals from the penalty spot against Iceland in March. Aside from that, he’s without a goal in eight appearances over the last nine months for his country.
Goals by Jonathan Osorio and Jayden Nelson in last week’s 2-0 win over Uzbekistan in Edmonton were Canada’s first from open play since Ismaël Koné’s first-half strike in a 2-0 win last November versus Venezuela, which ended the team’s overall goal drought at 342 consecutive minutes.
Goals have been hard to come by for the Canadians in their previous 13 matches dating back to last summer – they’ve been shut out four occasions and have only scored two or more goals five times in that stretch.
Yet, Larin is confident goals will come at the World Cup from Canada’s crop of forwards, which also includes Tani Oluwaseyi and Promise David, who, between them, have five goals in 34 appearances.
“I never thought there was a problem about the ball going into the back of the net. We have four guys who can put the ball back there … So, I don’t think that’s a problem. I think it will come. I think we just have to keep doing what we do, and then guys just give us the ball, and we’ll score if we get the chance,” Larin said.
It’ll be interesting to see if Larin’s promise is fulfilled and if the goals come against Bosnia. If not, it could be a quick exit from the World Cup for Canada.
Luc de Fougerolles in for Moïse Bombito?
Centre-backs Derek Cornelius and Moïse Bombito have been the backbone of Canada’s defence ever since Jesse Marsch took over as coach in 2024.
But that partnership could be broken up on Friday as Bombito, who is coming off a lengthy injury layoff due to a broken leg, hasn’t been involved in full training at all this week, and it’s unlikely he’ll be fit to play versus Bosnia. If Bombito can’t go, look for youngster Luc de Fougerolles to start next to Cornelius.
De Fougerolles, 20, only has 13 caps for Canada, and he doesn’t have the same level of experience at the club and international level as Bombito. But Cornelius played alongside de Fougerolles in last week’s friendly versus the Republic of Ireland in Montreal, and feels confident that he can step up if required to play in Canada’s World Cup opener.
“Luc has been excellent. We’ve played together many times, especially over the last year or so; he stepped up in an amazing way. The maturity he has for his age, ability to handle big moments, big stages, I think that’s what’s earned him his spot on this national team, and everyone has full faith in him,” Cornelius said.
The son of a father from Montreal and an Iranian-born English mother, de Fougerolles joined Fulham’s famous youth academy when he was seven, working his way up through the system before signing his first pro contract in 2023. The England-born defender was loaned to FCV Dender EH last summer and has seen his game grow by leaps and bounds in Belgium’s top division.
But is de Fougerolles ready to become a starter at the World Cup? For someone so short of international experience, he’s not lacking in self-belief.
“To be fair, I’ve always backed myself. I’ve always known I’m a good player. I’ve kind of done the right things every day for club and country… I’ve been working my whole life for opportunities like this,” de Fougerolles said.
Canada has to be aware of Bosnia’s wingers, and Edin Džeko
The scouting report on Bosnia and Herzegovina is that it’s a big team that likes to make use of its height and size on set pieces and crosses played into the box.
The Bosnians also like to attack down the flanks through youngsters Kerim Alajbegović (RB Salzburg) and Esmir Bajraktarević (PSV Eindhoven), and veteran Edin Višća (Trabzonspor).
As such, Canada’s fullbacks will be expected to be put under pressure on Friday, which means wingers Tajon Buchanan and Liam Millar will have to pinch in and try to act as the first line of defence against Bosnia’s wide attackers.
“We know that their strongest point is their wide areas. They’re two wingers are probably their best players. We know there’s going to be a lot of crosses coming in the box, so I think for us, it’s just about being able to deal with that. For me, on my side, it’s about trying as much as possible to stop them putting the crosses in the box, and I will be doing everything I can to do that,” Millar said.
Another player that Canada has to worry about is forward Edin Džeko, who, if he plays, could give Canada’s defence all kinds of problems – the Bosnian captain is dealing with a shoulder injury and his status for Friday is still to be determined.
Džeko, 40, has 73 goals in 148 appearances for his country and has played for some of the biggest clubs in the world during his career, including AS Roma, Manchester City, Inter Milan and Fenerbahçe. He’s also coming off a 2025-26 season in which he scored eight goals in 29 combined appearances for Fiorentina and Schalke 04.
The veteran striker has a wealth of experience and should give Canada’s centre-backs all they can handle with his smart movement off the ball, his strength and physical presence, and his aerial ability.
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 27 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.