Canada 1-1 Bosnia: Cyle Larin snatches point as co-hosts open World Cup 2026 account | OneFootball

Co-hosts are playing at just their third World Cup ever

Cyle Larin netted just moments after coming on as a second-half substitute to snatch a first-ever World Cup point for Canada as they opened their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Jesse Marsch’s side were met with a bubbling atmosphere, aided by a lively opening ceremony - headlined by Michael Buble - to follow Mexico’s from the day before.

The co-hosts started the first half in the ascendancy, but found themselves behind as they were unlocked by Sead Kolasinac’s near-post flick-on from a corner, which Jovo Lukic nodded over the line to open the scoring.

Opener: Jovo Lukic

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Bosnia, playing at just their second World Cup, continued to threaten a second, but the Canadians held out and went in a goal down at the break.

They responded well in the second period, with Marsch deciding enough was enough on the hour, taking off his two stars, Tajon Buchanan and Jonathan David, in favour of the returning Jacob Shaffelburg, Promise David (no relation to Jonathan) and Ali Ahmed.

The trio all had huge impacts as the Reds grew in confidence, roared on by the home faithful, and they came within a lick of paint of an equaliser when Richie Laryea, standing in at left-back for injured key man Alphonso Davies, sidefooted past Nikola Vasilj, only for Bosnian skipper Kolasinac, the former Arsenal left-back, to divert it onto the crossbar at the last.

Tani Oluwaseyi saw a header cleared off the line as Canada continued to probe, and they finally got their just deserts when Oluwaseyi’s replacement, the experienced Larin, stepped off the bench to lash home the equaliser and send a cresendo of noise through the city of Toronto.

Next up, Canada take on Qatar in Vancouver, while Sergej Barbarez’s Bosnia face Switzerland in Los Angeles, California.