Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina Preview: Team News & Prediction | FIFA World Cup 2026 | Group Stage
One of the three co-hosts, Canada, kick off their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign at BMO Field in Toronto against surprise European qualifiers Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – BBC / USA – FOX Sports
How to watch online: UK – BBC iPlayer & the BBC Sport website & app / USA – FOX One
Canada preview: Jesse Marsch’s Canadians
Former Leeds United manager Jesse Marsch is in charge of a Canada side that qualified through the normal route for FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar under John Herdman, highlighting the fact that the North Americans have been building towards being a reasonable force at this tournament, one in which they have co-hosting duties, for quite some time.
The Canadians did exceptionally well to reach the semi-finals of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America but that tournament was sandwiched between very underwhelming quarter-final exits in the 2023 and 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup campaigns, with Marsch under pressure from the off this summer.
Canada do head into the tournament in decent form with an eight-match unbeaten run of form. In their pre-tournament friendlies, the Canadians defeated Uzbekistan by two goals to nil before a 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland.
Bosnia and Herzegovina preview: Famous play-off wins
In qualifying, Bosnia and Herzegovina went to the Cardiff City Stadium and managed to edge past Wales on penalties in their UEFA playoff semi-final before then sharing a draw with Italy in Bosnia, eventually going on to beat the four-time world champions on penalties once again.
Sergej Barbarez, with veteran captain Edin Dzeko still leading the line, has taken the Bosnians to their second ever FIFA World Cup, having played at Brazil in 2014 - and yet, intriguingly, they have never played at a UEFA European Championship.
The Bosnians, since those play-off victories, now head into the FIFA World Cup on the back of pre-tournament friendly draws against North Macedonia and then Panama.
Canada team news: Davies to miss out
Bayern Munich defender Alphonso Davies has endured an injury hit couple of seasons and Canada's key man has once again succumbed to another injury just prior to the tournament that has ruled him out of their opening game on Friday, as confirmed by Jesse Marsch in his pre-match press conference.
Canada have had defensive injury issues throughout the last 12 months with Alfie Jones able to regain full fitness but now Nice defender Moise Bombito, who missed the majority of last season, is now expected to miss the opening game with Marsch saying he should be ready in a 'week'. Ismael Kone was sent home from training earlier in the week due to illness but is ready to go for the opener.
Jacob Shaffelburg and Ali Ahmed have been dealing with their own hamstring issues but they have now returned to training, while Marcelo Flores was forced to withdraw a couple of weeks ago due to an ACL injury.
Predicted XI (4-4-2): Crepeau; Johnston, De Fougerolles, Cornelius, Davies; Buchanan, Eustaquio, Kone, Millar; David, Larin
Unavailable: Bombito (Injured), Davies (Injured)
Questionable:
Bosnia and Herzegovina team news: Dzeko a doubt
Veteran captain Edin Dzeko is a doubt for this week after he picked up a knock only last week. It could well be that the former Inter Milan man forces his way back into the eleven. Sergej Barbarez has said he will be with the 'squad' for the opener - but whether or not he starts has not yet been confirmed.
The man that would have likely stepped in to replace Dzeko in the eleven would be Borussia Monchengladbach's Haris Tabakovic but Barbarez has confirmed he is missing for the opener due to an ankle injury and so it wouldn't be a surprise to see a more conservative approach with Ermedin Demirovic as a lone striker with Kerim Alajbegovic in behind.
Defensively, Nidal Celik would have been pushing for a place in the back three but the Lens defender has now had to withdraw due to injury.
Predicted XI (3-5-1-1): Vasilj; Muharemovic, Katic, Kolasinac; Dedic, Sunjic, Hadziahmetovic, Basic, Bajraktarevic; Alajbegovic; Demirovic
Unavailable: Tabakovic (Injured)
Questionable: Dzeko (Fitness)
Canada’s top FIFA World Cup Fantasy assets
Maxime Crepeau ($4.0m) – Goalkeeper
Jonathan David ($7.0m) – Forward
Cyle Larin ($6.2m) – Forward
Matchday 1 captain pick: Jonathan David
Set-piece duty
Penalties: Jonathan David
Free kicks: Alphonso Davies
Corners: Alphonso Davies, Stephen Eustaquio
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s top FIFA World Cup Fantasy assets
Sead Kolasinac ($4.3m) – Defender
Ermedin Demirovic ($6.2m) – Forward
Kerim Alajbegovic ($4.2m) – Forward
Matchday 1 captain pick: Edin Dzeko
Set-piece duty
Penalties: Edin Dzeko, Haris Tabakovic
Free kicks: Amar Dedic, Benjamin Tahirovic
Corners: Amar Dedic, Benjamin Tahirovic
Key stats
- Co-hosts Canada qualified automatically and are making their third FIFA World Cup appearance, marking the first time they will feature in back-to-back editions after ending a 36-year absence at Qatar 2022.
- In both of their previous instalments, Canada were eliminated after the group stage, suffering three defeats from three matches each time.
- Canada began both of their previous FIFA World Cup campaigns with 1-0 defeats: first to France in 1986, then to Belgium in 2022.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina are participating in their second FIFA World Cup, having made their debut on the global stage at the 2014 edition in Brazil.
- This is Bosnia and Herzegovina’s first FIFA World Cup encounter against a Concacaf team. With this match, they will have faced opponents from four different confederations in the competition: CONMEBOL (Argentina), CAF (Nigeria), AFC (IR Iran) and Concacaf (Canada).
- Edin Džeko and Sead Kolašinac are the only two players in the current Bosnia and Herzegovina squad who also featured at the nation’s sole previous FIFA World Cup appearance in 2014.
- 13 of Canada’s 26‑player squad for the 2026 finals were also part of their Qatar 2022 delegation.
- Richie Laryea and Jonathan Osorio could both appear in a FIFA World Cup match in the home stadium of their club, Toronto FC. Osorio also celebrates his 34th birthday on the day of the game and could become the oldest outfield player ever to feature in a FIFA World Cup match on his birthday.
- At 40 years and 87 days, Edin Džeko could become the second‑oldest outfield player ever to appear in a FIFA World Cup, behind Roger Milla of Cameroon, who was 42 years and 39 days old when he played against Russia on 12 June in 1994. If he starts, Džeko would become the first outfield player aged over 40 ever to start a match at the finals.
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Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina prediction
Canada have quality in attack with the likes of Jonathan David, Alphonso Davies, Tajon Buchanan and Cyle Larin - as well as a few others. However, the Canadians, with the intense but often ineffective Marsch-coached style, have struggled for a cutting edge and efficiency in the final third. Bosnia and Herzegovina, meanwhile, will head into the tournament with their defensive style from March the likely go-to tactical philosophy for Barbarez. Canada have to remain favourites but the pressure, their attacking inefficiency and Bosnia’s defensive solidity would suggest it should be a low-scoring clash with their home advantage in Toronto.
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina betting tip: Canada to win & under 3.5 goals
