PREVIEW – Canada v Bosnia and Herzegovina will be seen as a pivotal match for both teams. Canada comes in as one of the three co-hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while Bosnia and Herzegovina comes in as the winner of the UEFA Euro Group A group, where they beat both Wales and Italy via penalties.
Note #1: Penalties Count as Ties in Terms of Form
Note #2: For Form: Wins-Draws-Losses
Canada v Bosnia and Herzegovina: What To Look For
Canada (2-3-0)
READ MORE: Jonathan David Helped Canada Earn a Draw at BMO Field
The Canadians have not lost a game since October 10, 2025, against Australia. This is a positive thing about Canada’s form. However, the CANMNT’s trouble is being ruthless in front of the net and capitalizing on their scoring opportunities. It was an improvement from the game against Iceland, but still, many things need to be worked on.
This was clearly shown in the game against the Republic of Ireland. Canada had nine shots but only one shot on goal. In addition, in that draw against Ireland, the only goal scored by Canada was an own goal conceded to Jake O’Brien in the 23rd minute. Yes, Los Angeles FC midfielder Stephen Eustáquio’s corner was top-notch, but they need to capitalize on their scoring chances.
Cyle Larin (he also plays for Southampton F.C.), who committed the foul that eventually allowed Ireland to tie the game, was a topic of discussion as CANMNT head coach Jesse Marsch said this about him, according to Thomas Hewitt of the Canadian Soccer Daily:
“Cyle did a lot of things right, and he was in a lot of positions to score a goal, but he made the foul for the penalty, and then doesn’t quite get the goal on the day,” Marsch added. “This is the way it’s been a little bit for Cyle, that’s why it was so great to see him doing so well at Southampton, getting goals week after week after week, and I believe that that’s coming for him here as well.”
One big positive from the two games against Uzbekistan and the Republic of Ireland was the performance of CANMNT goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. Crepeau has made some great saves for his national team. He also probably made a game-saving stop late in the game against Ireland to keep the game tied.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (0-5-0)
Bosnia and Herzegovina have not won a game in normal time for many months. They finished second in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification – UEFA Group H, finishing just two points behind group winners, Austria, for that sole automatic FIFA World Cup spot in the group.
However, Bosnia and Herzegovina would then have a second chance to qualify for the FIFA World Cup by being put in the Path A group with Wales, Italy, and Northern Ireland. They came from behind to draw against Wales and then won in penalties. Similarly, against Italy, they came from behind to tie the game and win in penalties. In fact, in Italy’s case, a player got a red card early in the game, which provided an advantage that Bosnia earned and took advantage of.
What was most impressive about the Bosnia win in penalties was that they had to earn these results on the road against both Wales and Italy.
This is what Ermedin Demirović said about the parade back home after making the FIFA World Cup (Source: Nischal Schwager-Patel on June 5, 2026):
“We got there, and the bus couldn’t go any further: there were red flares everywhere. Then we got to the balcony, and I couldn’t believe how many people were there at three o’clock in the morning,” said Demirović. “That was the first time I really felt how happy you can make someone through football.”
Players To Watch Out For
Maxime Crépeau, the starting goalkeeper of the CANMNT, is a player to watch out for. He made some fantastic saves against Uzbekistan and the Republic of Ireland and has the potential to steal the game in favour of Canada. The save seen in the link above was on a shot done by Ireland’s Mason Melia. He also saved Melia’s penalty shot, but Troy Parrott was first to the rebound.
This is what Jesse Marsch said about Crépeau, according to Benedict Rhodes of the Canadian Soccer Daily:
“We know we can count on Max.”
For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the player to watch out for is Edin Džeko. Džeko is the all-time scorer for the Bosnian team, scoring 73 goals in 148 international appearances. He currently plays as a striker for FC Schalke 04 in Germany.
This is what Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach, Sergej Barbarez, said about Džeko’s experience, and what it means for the national team according to FIFA on February 18, 2025:
Džeko has found success previously with big clubs such as the Manchester City Football Club in the English Premier League, as well as Associazione Sportiva Roma (AS Roma) and Football Club Internazionale Milano (Inter Milan) of Serie A.
READ MORE: CANMNT Head Coach Jesse Marsch: His Journey as a Pro Player
How To Watch The Game
The home opener of Group B will take place at Toronto Stadium (more well known as BMO Field) at 3:00 pm EDT (12:00 pm PDT). The game will be televised on TSN, RDS, and CTV, and it will also be streamed on Crave. This will also be the first-ever meeting of Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
READ MORE: Jesse Marsch: How His Coaching Path Led to the CANMNT Job
This is while the other group stage B game, Qatar vs. Switzerland, takes place at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi’s Stadium) in Santa Clara, California, on June 13 at 3:00 pm EDT (12:00 pm PDT). It will be televised nationally on TSN and CTV and streamed live on Crave.
Photo Credit: CANMNT X Account on June 5, 2026.
