Canada’s men’s national soccer team kicks off the 2026 FIFA World Cup on home soil Friday as they meet Bosnia and Herzegovina in Group B action from Toronto Stadium.
Les Rouges will be going for their first-ever victory at the World Cup on Friday after having gone winless in both of their previous appearances at the tournament in 1986 and 2022.
Coming into the match as the 30th-ranked national side in FIFA’s world rankings, Canada will have a prime opportunity to get that elusive first win as they open their ledger at the 48-team tournament against Bosnia, currently ranked 64th.
“It’s honestly surreal,” said Canadian winger Liam Millar, who is back for his second World Cup with Canada after debuting in Qatar. “When I was a kid, if I ever thought the World Cup would be here in Canada, I probably would have said no. It’s kind of a surreal moment, especially the first game is here in my hometown… we’re going to be doing everything we can to make Canada proud and doing everything we can to do as well as possible in this tournament.”
“It’s just crazy to know that we’re playing games in our own backyard, “added Jayden Nelson, who was officially added to the 26-man squad on Tuesday in place of the injured Marcelo Flores. “It’s just going to give us that extra push with our fans and family here. It’s amazing, truly.”
After initially being left out of Jesse Marsch’s squad, Nelson was one of three cuts to remain with the team following the official announcement. He came on in the second half of Canada’s pre-World Cup friendly against Uzbekistan on June 1 and scored his first goal for the national side in nearly three years to secure the 2-0 victory.
The last-minute audition was enough for Nelson to be added to the squad as he looks to make an impact at his first career World Cup.
Canada could be forced to replace another injured player ahead of their World Cup opener as the team continues to monitor the status of top centre back Moïse Bombito.
It was reported on Saturday that the squad was getting set to replace Bombito this week after the training staff determined the defender’s surgically repaired tibia is not healthy enough for him to compete.
However, Marsch said on Sunday that he will give the OGC Nice defender “up until the last minute” to show he can be ready at any point in the tournament before removing him from the team.
Bombito participated in modified training for the second consecutive day on Tuesday. His participation in the tournament could very likely come down to wire, with Marsch and his staff having until 3 p.m. ET on June 11 – 24 hours before the start of the match against Bosnia – to name a replacement from the provisional 55-player roster.
Canadian captain Alphonso Davies’ status for the World Cup opener also remains up in the air as injuries continue to threaten the backline.
Davies remained in return-to-play protocol alongside Ralph Priso, who is nursing a hamstring injury of his own, at Tuesday’s training session. He is expected to feature for Canada at some point during the World Cup, regardless of his status for Friday’s match.
“The first game is coming up pretty quickly,” Davies told reporters last week. “We understand how important the first game is, but we understand recovery is always an important thing.
“If I’m recovering as good as possible, let’s see. If not, then there’s no need to rush. Just keep continuing the recovery.”
After Friday’s game, Canada will head to Vancouver for meetings against Qatar on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24.
