After Jovo Lukic put Bosnia ahead in the first half, Cail Larin’s equalizing goal gave Canada its first World Cup point.
Published June 12, 2026
Canadian striker Cyle Larin came off the bench to salvage a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in a frenetic Group B opener that had long looked like it would end in defeat for the World Cup co-hosts.
Bosnia took the lead in the 21st minute of Friday’s match when Jovo Lukic converted a flick-on from a corner, scoring his first international goal in his return to the World Cup after 12 years.
Canada pushed forward and should have tied the game in the 53rd minute with a goal from Richie Lariaea, but Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac miraculously sent his shot over the crossbar and away to safety.
The Canadians continued to attack relentlessly, but despite creating many chances, they lacked precision in their finishing as the Bosnians handled successive crosses and seemed headed for a narrow victory.
But Larin, who was introduced in the 76th minute, had other ideas and made an immediate impact, spinning inside the box and slamming home a deflected shot to equalize within three minutes, much to the delight of the home crowd.
The result gave Canada their first points in World Cup history, but they fell short of the winning start they had been longing for.
Jonathan David had a great chance to put Canada ahead early on, but his country’s all-time leading scorer fired a superb shot from the center of the area past goalkeeper Nicolas Vasili.
Once Lukic put the battle-hardened Dragons on the board, it was Canada who took over to the roar of a raucous red-clad crowd.
Canada continued to press for the remainder of the half, but were unable to establish much of a presence deep in the Bosnian half, and nearly every ball sent into the area quickly escaped danger.
Laryea’s goal at the start of the second period almost brought the hosts level, but his shot looked certain to go over the line until Kolasinac stepped in at the last moment and sent it over the bar.
Bosnia almost doubled their lead after Elmedin Demirovic’s goal, but Maxime Crepeau, making his World Cup debut after missing the 2022 tournament with a broken leg, made a crucial save.
This was the turn of Southampton striker Larin. Larin earned the honor of scoring Canada’s first World Cup goal on home soil with a right-footed shot from the center of the box in the 78th minute.
