Lukic gives Bosnia the lead, Canada hit back in World Cup opener

Lukic strikes, but Canada hit back

Bosnia-Herzegovina opened their 2026 World Cup campaign with a 1–1 draw against co-hosts Canada in Toronto. Jovo Lukic headed you in front with his first international goal, but substitute Cyle Larin equalised for the Canadians to earn them their first ever World Cup point (1) (2) (3) (12). Bosnia are now unbeaten in nine matches stretching back before the tournament, a run that will give you real belief heading into the rest of Group B (1).

Red card debate splits the pundits

A major talking point from the match: should Bosnia have been down to 10 men? BBC pundits Wayne Rooney and another analyst disagreed sharply over whether goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj should have been sent off for a challenge on Canada's Tani Oluwaseyi in the second half (6) (7) (15). Rooney argued it was a clear red, the opposing view was that Vasilj won the ball (6) (7). No card was given, and the controversy will rumble on.

Marsch: 'We felt like we had them'

Canada coach Jesse Marsch admitted his side were too passive in the first half but felt the momentum shifted after the break. "We felt like we had them. The subs came on and made a big difference. We could see that they were fading," Marsch said. He urged his players to learn quickly from the slow start (4). For Bosnia, the takeaway is that you made the co-hosts sweat on their own turf.

Group B picture

Bosnia sit joint-top of Group B after one match, level with Canada on one point. Switzerland and Qatar play later in the round. With Canada out of the way, one of the tournament co-hosts, your path to the knockout stage looks promising.

Fan reactions

The footage from Sarajevo tells its own story, fans packed the streets going wild when Lukic's header hit the net. Online, the mood is a mix of pride at the performance and frustration that Larin's late strike denied Bosnia a famous opening win. The red card incident is dominating discussion threads, with most Bosnian fans convinced the referee got it right.

Scenes in Sarajevo after the opener