Canada – Bosnia and Herzegovina

The European team won't let the home team beat them.

The Canadian national team has been named one of the three hosts of the World Cup in North America and did not have to go through qualifying. On the one hand, such a privilege allows preparation for the main tournament well ahead of its start. On the other hand, the absence of official matches for a full year may prevent its coach from fully assessing the team's on-field connections. If we judge the current Canadians by their most recent official match, it's sad. It took place in the first round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup knockout stage in June 2025 and ended with Canada's elimination in a penalty shootout by Guatemala, ranked 96th in the FIFA rankings. Neither do Canada's previous appearances in the World Cup final tournaments in 1986 and 2022 inspire optimism. They ended in a fiasco with six defeats in six matches, finishing last in their groups. Bosnia and Herzegovina, in a completely heroic fashion, qualified for their second World Cup in history. Failing to finish first in their qualifying group, Edin Dzeko and his teammates earned a second chance in the European qualifying playoffs. There, the team first in Wales in a penalty shootout upset the home side, and in the final match in their home city of Zenica plunged Italy into mourning, leaving it without a World Cup for the third time in a row. The bookmakers have made the hosts the favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.80 on their victory. Jesse Marsch's side ahead of the 2026 World Cup is not well known to the general public. In the Canada squad, only Alphonso Davies of Bayern and Jonathan David of Juventus are well known. Moreover, the market value of both players has recently fallen, as has their form. Davies will not play against Bosnia and Herzegovina due to a hamstring injury, and the seasoned Bosnian defenders will surely find a way to counter David. In two June friendlies, Canada beat Uzbekistan and drew with Ireland. Bosnia and Herzegovina had not lost to anyone since September 2025. This refers to five official matches and three friendlies. It’s unlikely that home turf will help Canada get three points.