Cyle Larin came off the bench to score a 78th‑minute equaliser as Canada drew 1-1 with Bosnia‑Herzegovina in their World Cup opener at Toronto Stadium, earning the nation its first point on home soil before a crowd of 43,002. Coach Jesse Marsch's tactical substitution and the passionate support highlighted a historic moment for Canadian men's soccer.
Cyle Larin scored the equalizer in the 78th minute in front of 43,002 mostly Canadian fans. If they had added a roof during Toronto Stadium ’s expansion, it wouldn’t have survived.
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results. A little more than 90 minutes before Canada’s men kicked off their World Cup opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina, they walked out onto the Toronto Stadium pitch for the first time, looking sharp in their double-breasted suits and dress shoes.
They found friends and family in the stands and waved from their places in the sun. A few steps away, Luc de Fougerolles, wearing headphones, had already taken off his jacket, stripped down to his shirt sleeves. The 20-year-old stood in the box that he was about to defend, imagining the game of his dreams unfolding in front of him.
He stamped at the grass with his feet, desperate to get down to his mean business, a young bull in the chute. Canada’s men played with love. They played with menace. They played with their whole hearts, and they came back to draw the most important game in their history, 1-1.
It was their first point at a men’s World Cup, and if that didn’t make their day unforgettable enough, they did it at home, in front of a crowd filled with faces they knew and people they could name. Cyle Larin, who had come on only two minutes earlier, scored the equalizer in the 78th minute in front of 43,002 mostly Canadian fans. If they had added a roof during Toronto Stadium’s expansion, it wouldn’t have survived.
Head coach Jesse Marsch made a huge pre-game call and dropped Larin, the 31-year-old veteran striker, for Tani Oluwaseyi, who had seemingly ceded his starting spot. Oluwaseyi led his team out for warmups, and just before he did, he stood in the tunnel with a slight smile on his face, like he was in on a secret. But there was no secret: Marsch had decided to go for his youngest, fastest 11. He had decided to go for the throat.
It looked as though his venom might pay off until Bosnia-Herzegovina scored in the 21st minute, from a free kick deep in Canadian territory, earned after a rare moment of pressure. Richie Laryea, playing in place of an injured Alphonso Davies, committed the foul. A ball threaded into the box was flicked on to Jovo Lukic, who couldn’t have missed from inches out.
That came only minutes after Jonathan David failed to convert a glorious chance, when he found the ball and open space maybe a yard from the penalty spot. He half-scuffed a left-footed shot, saved easily by Nikola Vasilj in the Bosnian goal. When the halftime whistle blew, Canada led in every statistical category except the one that matters most. The margins became even finer early in the second half, when Laryea seemed poised to score on his own slippery attempt.
Instead, a charging Vasilj got a piece of the ball, which deflected off a trailing defender, before it finally bounced off the bar and out. Chance after chance went wanting, but that was perhaps the most stomach-sick moment on a day that had felt as though it might end in a more inevitable-seeming celebration. It finally came when Larin scored his long chance after a terrific run from Koné and a short feed from Promise David, another substitute.
Had Canada failed to equalize, it would have needed to beat Qatar in its next game, on June 18 in Vancouver, to keep any hope of advancing to the knockout rounds. Instead, a win in that game will guarantee Canada’s men will advance for the first time, even absent a result in its final group-stage game against Switzerland on June 24. Before Friday’s game, Sergej Barbarez, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s head coach, had talked about his team’s formidable resolve.
“When you give your heart, and you put your heart into it, it’s always going to be fierce,” he said when he was asked what he expected from his ruthless collection of giants. Chris Jones is a journalist and screenwriter who began his career covering baseball and boxing for the National Post. He later joined Esquire magazine, where he won two National Magazine Awards for his feature writing.
His memoir, Legs Hearts Minds: Loss and Its Remedies, will be published by Random House in June. For the meticulous Jesse Marsch, preparing Canada for the World Cup is the ultimate buildMexico scores early, late in shutout win over South Africa in red card-filled World Cup opener
Please follow us on Google to support us Canada World Cup Cyle Larin Toronto Stadium Jesse Marsch
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Canada’s FIFA World Cup chances, according to our expertsCathal Kelly, Paul Attfield and Neil Davidson answered your questions about the tournament
Read more »
2026 FIFA World Cup: An in-depth look at Canada’s midfielders and forwardsLearn more about Canada’s squad
Read more »
Canada’s Larin confident of World Cup breakthrough after roller-coaster seasonCyle Larin is in the mix to start Canada’s first-ever World Cup match on home soil on Friday afternoon.
Read more »
Canada coach Marsch keeps injured defender Bombito on Canada's World Cup squadDefender Moïse Bombito will remain on Canada’s World Cup roster, though his availability is unknown as he continues to recover from a broken leg.
Read more »