Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina have confirmed their starting teams for their meeting in the opening match in Canada of the World Cup 2026 at Toronto’s BMO Field on Friday.
The co-hosts are ranked 34 places above their opponents at 30th in FIFA’s standings but have lost all six of their previous matches at the finals, appearing in 1986 and 2022.
Sergej Barbarez’s underdogs came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Italy before knocking the four-time champions out on penalties in the play-offs.
The match is the first to take place in Group D, which continues when Qatar take on Switzerland in Santa Clara on Saturday (20:00 BST).
We’ve reached peak Canadiana here at the March to the Match and arrived at Princes’ Gate near the stadium.
A man wearing a cowboy hat, fur coat, carrying a Tim Hortons whips everyone into a frenzy as they finish singing O Canada.
It’s 25 C and brilliantly sunny. pic.twitter.com/Tv8jZLN3nt
— Devin Heroux (@Devin_Heroux) June 12, 2026
World Cup 2026: Canada confirmed team vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canada make one change in attack from their 1-1 draw with Ireland in Montreal on June 6, Tani Oluwaseyi supplanting Cyle Larin.
Captain Alphonso Davies is out with a hamstring strain and centre-back Moise Bombito is not yet ready to start following a broken leg but midfielder Ismael Kone has recovered after missing training with a fever on Wednesday.
Forward Jayden Nelson replaced Marcelo Flores in the squad after the winger suffered a serious knee injury.
Canada starting XI: Maxime Crepeau, Alistair Johnston, Luc De Fougerolles, Derek Cornelius, Richie Laryea, Tajon Buchanan, Ismael Kone, Stephen Eustaquio, Liam Millar, Jonathan David, Tani Oluwaseyi
Canada substitutes: Dayne St. Clair, Alfie Jones, Joel Waterman, Mathieu Choiniere, Cyle Larin, Jacob Shaffelburg, Moise Bombito, Owen Goodman, Alphonso Davies, Ali Ahmed, Jonathan Osorio, Niko Sigur, Promise David, Nathan Saliba, Jayden Nelson
World Cup 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina full line up vs Canada
Bosnia and Herzegovina change a winger from their 1-1 draw with Panama in St Louis six days ago, Kerim Alajbegovic moving to the bench and Amar Memic coming in.
Haris Tabakovic is recovering from an ankle injury and on the bench, as is Edin Dzeko after missing training on Tuesday with a shoulder issue and midfielder Ivan Sunjic, who had been a doubt.
Bosnia and Herzegovina starting XI: Nikola Vasilj, Amar Dedic, Nikola Katic, Tarik Muharemovic, Sead Kolasinac, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Ivan Basic, Benjamin Tahirovic, Amar Memic, Ermedin Demirovic, Jovo Lukic
Bosnia and Herzegovina substitutes: Mladen Jurkas, Nihad Mujakic, Dennis Hadzikadunic, Armin Gigovic, Samed Bazdar, Edin Dzeko, Ivan Sunjic, Amir Hadziahmetovic, Dzenis Burnic, Kerim Alajbegovic, Stjepan Radeljic, Martin Zlomislic, Haris Tabakovic, Arjan Malic, Ermin Mahmic
Where to watch Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: TV channel, live online stream
Kick-off on Friday is at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT). In the UK, live coverage is on BBC One.
Fans can stream the action on a vast range of devices through the BBC iPlayer app and BBC Sport website.
World Cup 2026: Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina stats
- Canada are unbeaten in their past eight games (W5 D3) – all friendlies – since a 1-0 home defeat to Australia in October 2025
- They have lost one of their last 28 games in Toronto (W18 D9) and are aiming to avoid becoming the second host nation in history to lose their opening World Cup match, after Qatar in 2022
- Defender Joel Waterman was also part of Canada’s squad at the finals in 2022 but did not make an appearance
- With 39 goals in 77 appearances, Juventus forward Jonathan David is Canada’s record scorer
- Larin is their second-top all-time marksman of all time with 30 goals in 90 matches, although the Southampton forward has not added to that tally since netting in a friendly against Panama in Toronto in October 2024
- Bosnia and Herzegovina scored in all 10 of their qualifiers and are also unbeaten in eight matches (W2 D6, including friendlies) since a 2-1 home defeat to Austria in September 2025
- This is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first competitive match against CONCACAF opposition.
- Dzeko could become the second-oldest outfield player ever to feature at the finals, behind Cameroon’s Roger Milla, who was 42 years and 39 days of age at the 1994 finals in the USA
- The former Manchester City targetman is his country’s 143-cap all-time leading appearance-maker and 73-goal record scorer, netting six times during qualifying
- Barbaraz did not win any of his first eight matches in charge but guided his side through their first successful play-off campaign for a major tournament at the sixth attempt
