For most of the night, Canada looked like a team trying to force open a locked door with a battering ram. Chance after chance arrived, Bosnia and Herzegovina refused to budge, and frustration slowly spread around BMO Field. Then Cyle Larin appeared from the bench, found one crack in the wall and smashed straight through it.
The Canada striker came on in the 76th minute and needed less than three minutes to rescue his side, scoring a crucial equaliser as the FIFA World Cup co-hosts battled back for a 1-1 draw in their Group B opener on Friday. It was the least Canada deserved after dominating large stretches of the contest, although Bosnia left Toronto knowing they had come within minutes of a famous victory.
FIFA World Cup 2026, Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: HIGHLIGHTS
Canada started brightly and looked determined to feed off the energy of a packed home crowd. But the early momentum disappeared the moment Bosnia reminded everyone that World Cups are rarely won through good vibes alone.
The visitors struck in the 21st minute from a corner. Ivan Basic delivered a teasing ball into the box, Sead Kolasinac flicked it across goal and Jovo Lukic reacted quickest to guide home from close range for the first international goal of his career.
The goal changed the rhythm of the match. Bosnia were content to sit deeper, defend their box and challenge Canada to break them down. The hosts enjoyed possession and territory, but clear opportunities were harder to come by as the visitors packed bodies behind the ball.
By halftime, Canada had plenty of the football but Bosnia had the lead.
HOW DID LARIN SPARK CANADA’S COMEBACK?
The second half quickly became a siege.
Canada pushed higher, attacked with greater urgency and began creating the chances that had been missing before the break. Their best opportunity arrived in the 53rd minute when Stephen Eustaquio slipped Richie Laryea through on goal.
Laryea beat goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj and looked certain to score. Somehow, Kolasinac recovered to hook the effort onto the crossbar before scrambling clear. It was the sort of intervention defenders dream about and strikers have nightmares over.
Bosnia nearly doubled their advantage moments later when Ermedin Demirovic broke clear, only for Maxime Crepeau to race from his line and produce a vital intervention.
As the clock ticked down, the game seemed to be drifting towards a frustrating Canadian defeat.
Then Jesse Marsch turned towards his bench.
Larin’s impact was immediate. Promise David flicked a clever pass into the striker’s path and Canada’s all-time leading goalscorer did the rest. With one quick turn, he created space for himself before firing a low strike into the bottom corner in the 78th minute.
After spending most of the night chasing the game, Canada finally had their reward.
Larin nearly completed the turnaround in stoppage time too, but Tarik Muharemovic threw himself in front of the effort to preserve Bosnia’s point.
WHY CANADA CAN LEAVE WITH OPTIMISM
There are no bonus points for dominating a football match. Canada know that.
Yet there was enough evidence on Friday night to suggest this team can make a serious push for the knockout rounds.
Without injured captain Alphonso Davies, the hosts still managed to control large portions of the game and repeatedly pinned Bosnia inside their own half. They finished with the better chances, the greater attacking intent and arguably deserved more than a draw.
Perhaps most importantly, they showed resilience.
Falling behind in the opening game of a home World Cup can quickly become overwhelming. Instead, Canada kept pushing, trusted their football and eventually found a way back.
Bosnia, making their first World Cup appearance since 2014, demonstrated why they remain such an awkward opponent. Organised, physical and dangerous from set pieces, they spent much of the evening under pressure but rarely panicked.
In the end, both sides left with a point.
Bosnia will be delighted with theirs. Canada may feel they left two behind.
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