World Cup 2026: Canada vs. Bosnia ends in dramatic draw, 1-1, after mighty effort makes history on Canadian soil

By Bonface Mulyungi

With a 1-1 draw, Team Canada made history by recording its first point in World Cup play, doing so in its opening match against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on Friday, June 12. 

It was Cyle Larin who leveled the score for Team Canada in the 78th minute, after he was subbed in just minutes earlier by head coach Jesse Marsch. He hammered it into the bottom corner past Nikola Vasilj, after an assist from just outside the top of the box from Promise David, following a beautiful run from Ismaël Koné. 

It’s a crucial result, giving Canada a point in its Group B play as the World Cup made its debut in Canada for the first time. Before today’s 2026 contest, the red and white had yet to ever record a point, having lost its previous six matches across tournaments in 1986 and 2022. Playing in front of a home crowd for the first time in history proved to be crucial, as chants of “Let’s Go Canada” rang through the stadium from start to finish. 

Canada recorded the draw by coming from behind, after Jovo Lukic of Bosnia and Herzegovina scored a header off a corner kick in the 21st minute. The goal came in front of a packed section of Bosnia and Herzegovina fans, who made their presence felt all throughout the match as well. 

For the 2026 World Cup, Canada is playing co-host with Mexico and the United States. It makes the first of three matches as part of Group B play, before the red and white head to Vancouver.

Before the match, Toronto hosted a beautiful opening ceremony. For all the developments from that spectacle, Canada’s opener, and post-match reaction and analysis, read Yahoo Canada’s live blog coverage below.