‘It’s an Exciting Time’ for Canada: Fans Cheer After One-Goal World Cup Tie Against Bosnia

It was a feeling of nervous excitement for soccer fan Regina David before Cyle Larin scored Canada’s second-half equalizer against Bosnia and Herzegovina, joining the crowd in a wave of fist pumps during Canada’s opening World Cup match.

“Both hearts are beating,” but right now for Canada, David said, referring to being born in Germany but now being Canadian.

While enjoying a drink at the Lion Rampant Scottish Pub in Maple Bay, B.C., David recounted memories from her childhood growing up in Kiel, Germany, in the early 1960s when she and her friends would play barefoot with a ball made from wrapped up clothes.

“I grew up with soccer,” she said. “When I came here, ‘oh, soccer, no.’ But now it’s getting more and more.”

Game On

Canadians across the country gathered at viewing parties, pubs, restaurants, and official fan festivals to watch the match, as Canada co-hosts the World Cup alongside Mexico and the United States.

Large public viewing events were held in Toronto and Vancouver as part of FIFA Fan Festivals, while cities such as Calgary hosted outdoor watch parties and community celebrations.

Retired mental health professional Lise Haddock, who said Canada is facing tough competition this year, was happy with the tie and said Canada has a lot to look forward to.

“It’s an exciting time for the Canadian team and for Canada,” she said.

For his part, pub owner Bruce Findlay is hosting watch parties throughout the tournament and said he’s excited about Canada’s prospects.

“It’s one of the better teams we’ve had in years,” he said, adding that the time zone works better for hosting watch parties than the last World Cup, which was held in Qatar.

The June 12 match against Bosnia and Herzegovina was played in Toronto and ended in a 1–1 draw after Bosnia’s Jovo Lukić headed a corner kick into the net in the first half, before Canada’s Larin equalized late in the second half

Despite several opportunities late in the game to secure a victory, Canada was unable to clinch the win but did come away with its first World Cup point due to the draw. In the World Cup, three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss.

Canada entered the match with several key players off due to injuries, including a hamstring injury suffered by Alphonso Davies and an ACL tear two weeks ago that put Marcelo Flores out of play.

Canada’s leading goal-scorer is Jonathan David of Juventus, who’s racked up 39 goals in his international career, while Bosnia’s top scorer is 40-year-old Edin Dzeko, who has 73 goals internationally in 148 games.

Dzeko helped Bosnia win a previous match in the World Cup 12 years ago against Iran, while Canada has played seven matches in the World Cup between 1986 and 2026 and lost six, with one tie as of June 12.

Standings

Since the World Cup kicked off June 11, Mexico beat South Africa 2–0 and South Korea defeated Czechia 2–1 in Group A on the first day, while Canada’s tie on June 12 gives it and Bosnia one point each in Group B.

Canada’s next game is June 18 in Vancouver against Qatar before its final group match against Switzerland June 24, at which point the top two teams from each group will advance to knockout rounds leading up to the World Cup championship match.