Canada opens first home World Cup against Bosnia

Canada’s first men’s World Cup match on home soil turned Toronto into a soccer stage Friday, as fans in red marched toward Toronto Stadium for the national team’s opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina and a chance to show how deeply the sport has taken root in the country.

The match, scheduled for 3 p.m. EDT, marked Canada’s debut as a men’s World Cup host. Mexico opened the tournament a day earlier, and the United States is also co-hosting. Another opening ceremony was planned in Toronto, with Michael Bublé among the performers, The Guardian reported.

Hours before kickoff, Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina supporters gathered around the stadium in a charged atmosphere. Canada fans marched to the ground en masse, while some Bosnian supporters were caught in traffic amid flares and chants. Some fans high-fived one another along the way. The Guardian reported that Bosnian media had suggested Bosnia and Herzegovina might have more supporters in attendance, but Canada coach Jesse Marsch was confident.

“That stadium is going to be red, not blue,” Marsch said.

The moment comes as soccer’s profile in Canada continues to rise. A recent report by Jumpstart, a Canadian charity that helps low-income youth play organized sports, said half of the nation’s youth participate in organized soccer, putting it ahead of hockey and other sports in youth participation.

In Toronto on Thursday, many locals wore Canada soccer gear ahead of the opener. Luke Reece, who grew up in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga and played soccer rather than hockey, was among them.

“Wish I had tickets to the game tomorrow, but I don’t,” Reece said. “I’m going to a game in Vancouver. It was cheaper to get a ticket out there.”

Christina Linz, president of the women’s Northern Super League, said the sport already has a strong base in Canada and that the World Cup could deepen it.

“It already has a good hold in this country in terms of participation. I think we all expect that to grow. These tournaments inspire so many next-generation people to find their heroes, play the game,” Linz said. “I think (it) will really draw those emotional connections.”

Canada enters the tournament ranked 30th by FIFA, behind co-hosts Mexico at No. 13 and the United States at No. 17. Marsch said Thursday he has “felt a real momentum behind this team and behind this moment” as Canada Soccer tries to build on hosting the men’s World Cup for the first time.

“Canada has become more and more multicultural, and I think the excitement for so many different nations to be here in North America and in Canada, and to be playing with all of the greatest players in the world and some of the greatest coaches, I think that there’s real excitement behind what this will be,” Marsch said.

He also praised the makeup of his squad, saying he was struck by how connected the players were despite varied backgrounds, including first- and second-generation Canadians with Portuguese, French, Jamaican, Colombian and Scottish roots.

Canada will begin without star defender Alphonso Davies, who was ruled out because of a hamstring injury sustained during Bayern Munich’s Champions League semifinal against Paris Saint-Germain on May 6. Marsch said Davies had an MRI on Wednesday and could return during the group stage.

“We’re getting ready to ramp things up,” Marsch said.

Defender Moise Bombito is recovering from a broken leg, but Marsch said he is “ready to contribute.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by 40-year-old Edin Dzeko, is back at the World Cup for the first time in 12 years after advancing through qualifying playoffs. Canada, which reached the semifinals of the 2024 Copa América, has lost all six matches it has played at men’s World Cups.

Separately, The Guardian reported that The Athletic said Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey will miss Ghana’s opening game after his visa application to Canada was refused. Ghana is scheduled to face Panama next week in Toronto before playing England in Boston and Croatia in Philadelphia.