Historic First — Larin’s Late Goal Earns Canada Their First-Ever World Cup Point at BMO Field

By: Ebenezer Adu-Gyamfi / Emmanuel Ayiku For GhanaianNewsCanada  |  June 12, 2026  |  Toronto, Canada

🍁  CANADA  1 – 1  BOSNIA-HERZEGOVIN 🇧🇦

           Jovo Lukić  21′  |  Cyle Larin  78′ (sub)

BMO Field, Toronto, Canada  |  Friday June 12,                     2026  |  FIFA World Cup Group B

TORONTO — Canada will not win their first-ever World Cup match today. But they will savour something nearly as precious — their first-ever World Cup point. On a roaring, emotional Friday evening at a sold-out BMO Field, Cyle Larin came off the bench to score in the 78th minute and earn Canada a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina. The moment the ball hit the net, the stadium erupted. Thirty-eight years after Canada’s only previous World Cup appearance ended in three straight defeats, Les Rouges finally have a point in the World Cup record books — and they earned it in front of their own fans, on home soil, at the tournament they helped host.

The result was not the victory Canada had dreamed of for their home World Cup opener. Bosnia-Herzegovina — the team who eliminated Italy to be here — proved every bit as stubborn and disciplined as expected, and they led at halftime through Jovo Lukić’s clinical first-half finish. But Canada refused to accept defeat, dominated the second half in terms of possession, shots, and territory, and ultimately got their reward through the substitute Larin — who needed just 121 seconds after coming on to make his decisive contribution.

First Half — Bosnia Punish Canada’s Wastefulness

The atmosphere at BMO Field before kick-off was unlike anything Toronto had experienced. The stadium was a wall of red and white. The noise when the Canadian national anthem played shook the upper tiers. Coach Jesse Marsch had spoken in the build-up about the need to channel home energy into performance, and his team came out pressing high, moving the ball quickly, and creating danger through the pace of Tani Oluwaseyi and the diagonal runs of Jonathan David.

But Canada could not convert their early pressure. David had a great chance — the Juventus forward shaped to shoot from the edge of the area and dragged his effort wide when he had his body shape all wrong. Oluwaseyi found himself free on the right side with 30 minutes gone but ballooned his left-foot attempt embarrassingly over the bar. Canada were creating the opportunities. They were just failing to take them.

Bosnia punished the wastefulness in the 21st minute. A Sead Kolašinac flick-on from a corner found its way to Jovo Lukić — the 24-year-old midfielder who had never scored for his country before this tournament — and he finished calmly inside the post, sending the travelling Bosnian fans into raptures and silencing the vast majority of the 30,000 inside BMO Field. It was Bosnia’s first-ever World Cup goal scored against a tournament co-host, and it was exactly the kind of set-piece sucker punch that Canada’s pre-tournament analysis had flagged as Bosnia’s primary weapon.

Second Half — Canada Dominate But Crossbar and Brilliant Block Deny Them

Jesse Marsch made no half-time substitutions, trusting his players to find a way back. The message was clear: play your football, trust the process, the goal will come. Canada responded with their best spell of football. They dominated possession — eventually leading 310 to 170 in accurate passes across the 90 minutes — and created chance after chance.

The moment that came closest to producing the equaliser came in the 53rd minute and produced one of the saves of the tournament’s opening day. A glorious, incisive team move carved Bosnia’s defence wide open, and Richie Laryea’s well-struck shot had goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj completely beaten. Somehow, Kolašinac — the man who had assisted Bosnia’s opener — got back to deflect the ball onto the crossbar with what can only be described as a miraculous intervention. The crossbar rang out across BMO Field. The crowd groaned.

Marsch turned to his bench. Off came Tani Oluwaseyi. On came Cyle Larin — the Southampton striker who had given away the penalty against Ireland last week and who had the extra motivation of knowing this was quite possibly his last World Cup. He needed 121 seconds.

The Goal — 121 Seconds, Larin Makes History

The 78th minute. Jonathan David — who had been Canada’s best player for long stretches despite his miss — played a perfect ball into Larin’s feet on the edge of the area. Larin held off his defender, turned, and slid the ball low and hard past Vasilj and into the bottom corner. BMO Field exploded. The Canadian bench erupted. Marsch sprinted down the technical area, arms pumping.

It was Canada’s first World Cup goal on home soil. It was Canada’s first World Cup equaliser. It was the moment that turned a potential nightmare — becoming only the second host nation in World Cup history to lose their opening game — into a historic milestone. Larin ran toward the corner flag, wheeled away with his arms spread wide, and was engulfed by teammates who had been chasing this moment for their entire international careers.

Canada could even have won it. In the closing minutes, Larin found himself through on goal with a chance to secure three points — but Bosnian defender Tarik Muharemović produced a brilliant last-ditch block that denied the striker at the vital moment. The final whistle blew. Canada 1, Bosnia-Herzegovina 1. It was not the win. But in Canadian football history, it was still everything.

No Davies, No Crépeau — The Absences Canada Managed

Lost in the euphoria of the equaliser was the extraordinary context of what Canada achieved today. Alphonso Davies — their best player, arguably the only truly world-class talent in the squad — did not play. The Bayern Munich and now Real Madrid left-back remains sidelined with his hamstring injury, and his absence left a gaping hole in Canada’s left side that was never fully plugged throughout the 90 minutes.

And in a separate development that surprised many, goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau — who had been named Canada’s World Cup starter just days ago and had been brilliant against Ireland last week — did not start. Dayne St. Clair was selected between the posts, and the 26-year-old from Ontario performed creditably, making several important interventions to keep Canada in the match when Bosnia threatened to extend their lead in the second half.

That Canada drew without Davies and without their first-choice goalkeeper, against a team that eliminated Italy to be at this World Cup, is a genuine source of encouragement for Marsch and his staff. The team has depth. The team has character. And now — with their first World Cup point secured — they have belief.

 The Ghana Connection — BMO Field in Five Days

As the last of the 30,000 BMO Field fans made their way out into Toronto’s Friday evening streets, many of them — particularly Ghanaian-Canadians who had been in the stadium tonight — were already counting down to June 17. Five days from now, the same pitch, the same stadium, the same city. Ghana vs Panama. The Black Stars’ World Cup opener at a tournament that is happening right here in Toronto.