Canada earn first ever World Cup point with Bosnia draw. How important could this be for Jesse Marsch’s side?
Canada fought back to earn a brilliant draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening World Cup match in Toronto, courtesy of a late goal from substitute striker Cyle Larin.
Jesse Marsch’s team went behind to Jovo Lukic’s effort in the 21st minute, the Bosnia and Herzegovina striker scoring his first goal for his country. Without their captain Alphonso Davies who is nursing a hamstring injury, and with Jonathan David wasting a fine chance to score in the first half, Canada were up against it.
But they improved in the second half and scored a deserved equaliser through Larin, not long after Sead Kolasinac, the former Arsenal defender, had produced a miraculous goal-line clearance for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 1-1 draw gives Canada their first point in World Cup history, with their record before this match: played six, lost six.
Joshua Kloke, Amy Lawrence and Lukas Weese analyse the talking points from Toronto…
Canada start to deliver on Marsch’s promise
One week before Canada’s World Cup opener, their head coach Marsch made a promise.
“I know the goals haven’t been coming,” Jesse Marsch said after Canada didn’t make the most of their chances in their final World Cup tune-up friendly, a 1-1 draw against Ireland. “And I’ve been saying they’re coming. And I’m going to say it again… they’re coming.”
In the 17th minute, it looked like Marsch was going to be proven wrong. Jonathan David was unmarked and had a deflection fall nicely to him near the penalty spot. But Canada’s all-time leading scorer sent an ineffective left-footed shot safely into Nikola Vasilj’s arms.
(Photo Agency/Getty Images)
Canada then looked entirely too nervy at times afterwards. That glorious missed opportunity seemed to weigh heavily on Canada’s shoulders. Finish that chance, and the crowd momentum would have built to incredible levels.
That wasn’t Canada’s only missed chance, to be sure. It looked like Marsch would have to answer for Canada’s lack of scoring yet again.
Until Cyle Larin, the man who once held the title of Canada’s all-time goal-scoring leader, stepped onto the pitch.
With a remarkable turn and first touch in the Bosnia box in the 78th minute, Larin did as he has done 30 times before for Canada. He bagged a goal when Canada needed it.
What a touch. What a finish.
Cyle Larin with a beauty for Canada 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/Ld5ba8XYlU
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 12, 2026
The oft-maligned Larin, who barely gets the recognition he deserves in Canada, scored the goal that took all the pressure off his teammates’ shoulders.
And after he found the back of the net, Canada finished the game looking aggressive and free. That’s exactly how they want to play under Marsch at this World Cup.
Joshua Kloke
Where does this result leave Canada?
For a long time the scoreline made for unhappy reading for Canada and their fans but this draw, and the point it brings, could play a huge role in helping them advance from Group B.
Canada has one point after its draw against Bosnia. The chances for Canada to advance to the knockout stage are 88 per cent, according to The Athletic’s predictor.
If Canada win against Qatar, the weakest team in the group, they would have four points. That would basically punch their ticket to the knockout stage, without having to rely on a result against the group favourites Switzerland in their final group match.
The top two nations from each group advance automatically to the knockout stage. If Canada finishes third, they could still advance to the round of 32, with the eight best third-placed teams across the tournament’s 12 groups going through.
The job is not done but a draw is huge for Canada as they look to advance from the group stage for the first time in their history.
Lukas Weese
Will set pieces rule this World Cup?
It is not clear whether the chant “set piece again, Olé Olé” was given an airing by the Bosnia and Herzegovina fanatics in the upper tier behind the goal that Lukic scored into but it does feel like a song that might translate more and more in this World Cup.
Set pieces became a bone of contention this season, particularly in the Premier League, with grappling and time-wasting elements that have been under serious scrutiny. But for participants in major matches, it is one of the vital details that can prise a game open and unless FIFA president Gianni Infantino comes up with a new award to make some goals worth more than others, they all count.
There was a stylistic contrast here in the first half as Canada galloped enthusiastically albeit without the finesse to match, while Bosnia and Herzegovina took a more pragmatic approach. Dampening the host’s enthusiasm with combative tackling and a solid shape gave them the platform, and they were both ready to hurl the ball forward if they won a transition, or plant it into the danger area if they got a set piece.
Midway through the first half the delivery was sound, Kolasinac flicked on, and Lukic was determined to get ahead of his marker and nod in a goal his nation relished.
After the break of course, Canada found their footing and were good value for their draw.
Amy Lawrence
How Kolasinac went from hero to villain
What an eventful match for Sead Kolasinac. An assist, a breathtaking last gasp clearance, and some culpability in the opposition’s equaliser. He will need a lie down after this.
There are moments in a game where time seems to slow down and for just about everybody it did, as Canada’s Richie Lareya wrapped his right foot around the ball with the goal at his mercy. Just about everybody — but critically, not everybody. Kolasinac, a burly figure of a man who looks like he could have been a weightlifter in another life, switched on the afterburners and sprinted for all he was worth.
His intervention was miraculous as he prevented a certain goal by hooking the ball onto the crossbar and out.
His visceral roar was justified. Kolasinac has previous when it comes to heroic deeds. He once saved Mesut Ozil, and the two players’ wives, from an attempted carjacking, seeing off armed robbers with his bare hands.
As captain, he took a lot of responsibility. His experience, as one of the few players to have represented his country in their last World Cup appearance in 2014 as well as here, he led by example in both assisting and preventing a goal. But his frustration in ensuring Canada’s equaliser was onside will linger.
Amy Lawrence
Toronto has never witnessed anything like this
The day began at Trinity Bellwoods, a downtown Toronto park, where Canada’s supporters gathered for a pep rally. There was a palpable buzz in the air among ‘The Voyageurs’, with waving flags and shouting chants, from “O When the Reds Go Marching In,” to “O Canada!”
Several fans travelled in from nearby Toronto cities. Others flew across the country to be here and witness Canada’s first World Cup match.
Seeing the fans walk together with their Voyageurs banners, launching fireworks and releasing red and white flares, was surreal. Toronto doesn’t host sporting events that have the panache of a global football tournament, in particular the march to the stadium. This was something new.
The enthusiasm was high before the match. Then it became restless when Bosnia scored and Canada couldn’t capitalize on several chances.
Then Larin drew them level, becoming Canada’s first goalscorer on home soil in a World Cup, to give Les Rouges their first positive result ever at this tournament.
Pandemonium ensued at BMO Field. Deafening “Olé Olé Olé!” cheers bounced off every corner of the intimate amphitheatre.
It will be a day Canadian fans who were a part of this historic occasion remember forever.
Lukas Weese
What’s next for Canada?
Their remaining two group games will both be played at BC Place in Vancouver.
June 18: Canada v Qatar (6pm ET)
June 24: Switzerland v Canada (3pm ET)