World Cup 2026: Canada Claim First Ever Point After 40 Years And Six Defeats

Canada Earns First Ever World Cup Point in 1-1 Draw With Bosnia-Herzegovina

Canada finally have a World Cup point to their name after a dramatic 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina at BMO Field in their FIFA World Cup Group B opener.

The hosts fell behind in the 21st minute when Jovo Lukić finished off a Sead Kolašinac assist to score Bosnia’s first World Cup goal in 12 years. It was also Lukić’s maiden international strike for the national team, and it looked set to extend Canada’s run of World Cup misery.

That run stretched back to 1986 and included six straight defeats: 0-1 to France, 0-2 to Hungary, and 0-2 to the USSR in Mexico, followed by 0-1 to Belgium, 1-4 to Croatia, and 1-2 to Morocco in Qatar. But head coach Jesse Marsch had a game-changing move up his sleeve.

In the 76th minute Marsch sent on Cyle Larin for Oluwaseyi Tanitoluwa, and the substitution paid off almost instantly. Three minutes later, Larin converted a David Promise assist to level the score and send the Toronto crowd into raptures. The late equalizer not only salvaged a point, it etched Canada’s name into World Cup history with their first ever point at the tournament.

With the breakthrough secured, Jesse Marsch’s side now turn their attention to Qatar, while Bosnia-Herzegovina face Switzerland on Wednesday in their next Group B fixture.