Co-hosts Canada welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first World Cup match ever to be played on Canadian soil, as both nations aim to improve on their previous performances on the biggest stage.
For Canada, this will be their third appearance at a WC and second in a row, after the team played in Qatar in 2022.
Unlike their opponents, they qualified automatically as co-hosts and will be looking for their first-ever win on Friday. The Reds have never won a point at a World Cup, losing all six previous fixtures.
Bosnia and Herzegovina had to work much harder to get here and earned their ticket through the final qualification playoffs, when they beat Italy on penalties.
This will be the country’s second appearance at a World Cup after 2014, when they finished third in Group F, which also featured future World Champions Argentina.
Unlike Canada, however, Bosnia can boast a win from their previous appearance, having beaten Iran 3-1 on Matchday 3.
Expectations are much higher for Canada than Bosnia, but Group B of the 2026 World Cup feels like one of the few that are not that easy to predict.
Switzerland are the main favourite to win the group, but we may see some surprises in the battle for second place, and this fixture could make the difference even this early into the finals.
How the bookies view it: High expectations for the hosts
Bookmakers favour Canada heavily, with odds as low as 4/5 for them to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday.
Sergej Barbarez’s men have, however, proven to be hard to beat even by teams at the top of FIFA’s rankings. With this said, the odds for a draw revolve around 13/5, while Bosnia are available at 7/2.
Recent head-to-head: No better place for a first-ever clash
It is not surprising that this will be the first official meeting between Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, so we don’t have any useful data to consider here.
Players to watch: Dzeko returns to the World Cup 12 years later
A legend of the modern game, Edin Dzeko returns for one final major competition with Bosnia, and despite his age (40), he remains a huge threat in the final third.
With 1015 career appearances and 450 goals for club and country, he hasn’t shown signs of slowing down, as he scored six goals throughout the qualifications for the World Cup.
He was also one of four players to score a goal for Bosnia and Herzegovina during their previous appearance in 2014. He is unlikely to make the starting lineup for Friday due to a recent shoulder injury, but we should see him in play at some point.
Alternatively, Canada’s all-time top goalscorer, Jonathan David, will be the primary suspect to bring the Reds the win. The 26-year-old didn’t have the best of seasons with Juventus, but remains the go-to player in Canada’s squad.
Probable line-ups
Canada: Crepeau, Cornelius, Laryea, de Fougerolles, Johnston, Buchanan, Millar, Kone, Eustaquio, David, Larin
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Vasilj, Memic, Muharemovic, Gigovic, Burnic, Bajraktarevic, Basic, Celik, Mahmic, Demirovic, Bazdar
Anything else catch the eye?
Canada’s home record when playing in Toronto should be a cause for worry in the away squad, as the Reds have lost just one of 28 fixtures (W18, D9). But Canada have always struggled against European nations.
Despite the strong support Canada will have at home, we can’t bet on them to win with confidence. Bosnia and Herzegovina have more recent experience playing some of the strongest national teams in the world, and on multiple occasions, they played as equals or at least didn’t lose.
Additionally, neither Canada nor Bosnia are known for their high-scoring performances, so an Under 2.5 bet could be a solid pick in this match. The hosts will be under extreme pressure, and we expect them to try and keep the game tidy.
Last but not least, we like Bet365's odds for Canada to get booked at least twice in this match. The team has received at least two yellows (or one red card) in each of their five most recent matches, even though they were all friendlies. Combined with all the pressure to win, it feels like a solid pick at 13/20.
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