Canada earned a historic point on home soil on Friday, fighting back from a first-half deficit to draw 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening Group B fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup at BMO Field, Toronto, in what marked the first men’s World Cup match ever staged on Canadian soil.

Bosnia took the lead in the 21st minute when Sead Kolašinac flicked on a corner at the near post and Jovo Lukić headed home from close range. The goal silenced the home crowd, but it did not stop Canada’s momentum. Before the goal, Jonathan David had already been denied by a superb reflex save from goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj after being played through on goal following a foul on Ismaël Koné.

After falling behind, Canada dominated possession and piled pressure on the Bosnian defence, with Stephen Eustaquio delivering nine corners in the first half alone. Despite the territorial dominance, the co-hosts struggled to find the breakthrough, with Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi both blazing chances over the bar, while two other efforts were cleared off the line.

The introduction of substitute Cyle Larin proved decisive. He scored just 121 seconds after coming off the bench, with a clever touch from Promise David setting him up for a composed finish in the 78th minute that made it 1-1 and ignited the Toronto crowd.

The result is significant for Canadian football history. It marked Canada’s first point in their third World Cup appearance and their first ever on home soil, while avoiding the unwanted distinction of becoming just the second World Cup host nation to lose their tournament opener, having previously lost all six matches across their 1986 and 2022 appearances.

Canada’s star man Alphonso Davies was unavailable for the clash, having been sidelined with a thigh injury.

For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the draw extends a troubling pattern. It was their sixth consecutive draw across all competitions, their longest such run in the nation’s history, with five of those six results finishing 1-1. Lukić’s strike was his first goal for the national team, coming in just his fourth appearance.

Both sides now head west for their remaining group games. Canada will face Qatar in Vancouver on June 18 and Switzerland on June 24, while Bosnia and Herzegovina take on Switzerland in Los Angeles on June 18 and Qatar in Seattle on June 24.