Canada finally have something to celebrate on the World Cup stage. Cyle Larin’s 78th-minute equaliser earned the co-hosts a 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina at BMO Field, and with it the first point in the nation’s World Cup history.
It was a result soaked in significance. Before Thursday’s kick-off in Toronto, Canada had played six World Cup matches across 1986 and 2022 and lost every single one. A boisterous home crowd of 43,002 had come to see that record broken — and after a nervy afternoon, they got their wish.
Lukić silences the home crowd
Bosnia threatened to spoil the party early. Saša Lukić rose to head the visitors in front on 21 minutes, and the goal sent Canada into the break trailing 0-1. For a side carrying the weight of home expectation, the second half became an exercise in nerve as much as quality.
The hosts pressed for a way back, but it was a substitution that finally unlocked the game. You can track how the table shakes out on our live World Cup 2026 standings.
Larin’s instant impact
Pochettino’s counterpart got his change spot on. Larin had been on the pitch just 121 seconds when he scored with his very first touch, latching onto a Promise David assist to level the tie on 78 minutes. It was the kind of decisive bench moment that defines tournament football — a striker thrown on and delivering inside two minutes.
The point itself is a landmark, but the mood is measured rather than euphoric. A draw, rather than a win, leaves the co-hosts with work still to do. Bosnia, meanwhile, will feel they let a lead slip, and ESPN’s framing that this is “their World Cup too” looks fair after a disciplined, dangerous display.
Group B could hardly be tighter. At this stage all four teams are level on a single point, meaning the next round of fixtures will go a long way to shaping who advances. For Canada, the first point is on the board; the challenge now is turning narrow margins into wins.
Plenty still to play for, then, in one of the tournament’s most finely balanced groups. For every fixture, result and group breakdown, visit our World Cup 2026 hub.