It might be an unproductive Friday afternoon in many Canadian workplaces.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup got underway on Thursday and Canadian soccer fans don’t have to wait long to see their team in action.
Canada’s first game will be the third of the tournament, as they’ll take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on Friday.
Kickoff from Toronto Stadium, usually known as BMO Field but renamed by FIFA for the event, is at noon PT.
While team captain Alphonso Davies is unavailable for the opener due to injury, head coach Jesse Marsch’s official roster submission today did come with some good news.
It includes 26-year-old defender Moïse Bombito, who has been working his way back to full health since fracturing his left tibia playing in Europe in October.
It doesn’t seem likely that Bombito will be in the starting lineup on Friday, but rather available to come off the bench, but fans will have to wait until close to kickoff to see Marsch’s starting lineup.
Canada is considered the favourite in the opening match for Group B, with a FIFA World Ranking of 30th compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina at 64th, but those rankings don’t always tell the story.
As Canada deals with several key injuries, Bosnia and Herzegovina is likely still riding high off a shocking win over Italy to qualify for the World Cup just over two months ago.
They’re led by 40-year-old captain Edin Džeko, who has played for Manchester City, Roma and Inter Milan during his illustrious career. He’s been battling a shoulder injury but is expected to suit up Friday for his first match since May 17.
No matter who suits up for the opponents, it will be a historic day in Toronto on Friday as it will mark the first ever FIFA World Cup match played on Canadian soil.
Canada can make it even more historic with the country’s first ever World Cup. In Canada’s first two World Cup appearances – 1986 and 2022 – the team exited after the group stage with no wins and three losses.
You can catch all the action on Friday, and throughout the more-than-month-long World Cup, on TSN.
