The Canadian men's national team begins its 2026 World Cup campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday in Toronto (3 p.m. ET). Below, we examine the biggest questions going into the contest.
Where will the goals come from?
Canada's scoring struggles are nothing new.
Jesse Marsch's side went almost 350 minutes without finding the net until Ismael Kone's goal against Venezuela last November. And Promise David's tap-in later in that fixture started another dry spell from open play, which only ended in June when Jonathan Osorio squeezed the ball under backup Uzbekistan goalkeeper Abduvohid Nematov during a 2-0 friendly win.
Jonathan David and Cyle Larin - the top two scorers in Canadian men's team history with a combined 69 goals - are enduring a torrid time for their country. The former has scored just twice in his past nine international outings, with a pair of penalties against Iceland in March his only relief from the drought. Meanwhile, Larin hasn't found the net for Canada in 14 appearances, though he appeared reinvigorated after joining second-tier Southampton in the English winter, cramming in nine goals despite starting only 11 matches.
Projected XI vs. Bosnia
(Source: FotMob)
Like Jonathan David, Tani Oluwaseyi enters the tournament in poor club form and worryingly fluffed an inviting scoring opportunity in the friendly against the Republic of Ireland. Promise David has proven his eye for goal over two seasons with Belgium's Union Saint-Gilloise, but Canada's pre-World Cup friendlies marked his first competitive minutes since February following hip surgery that nearly ruled him out of the tournament entirely.
There's no way to interpret the lack of goals from open play positively. It's rough. Canada may need a breakthrough from an unlikely source to kickstart the attack - perhaps through the raw graft of wingers Liam Millar or Jacob Shaffelburg. Shaffelburg, a hit for Canada at the 2024 Copa America, could see some action off the bench if fit.
Ireland's Jake O'Brien kindly turned the ball into his own net for Canada's opener last Saturday, but scoring from open play remains an issue.
"I thought we were very much in control of this match and we just lacked a little bit of quality in the final actions, but I believe that will come," Marsch said after the 1-1 draw, according to Canadian Soccer Daily's Thomas Hewitt.
"They're fit, they're ready to push. I love this team," the head coach added. "We've got to score some goals, but we will."
Canadians can draw some comfort from how Bosnia's attack has fared recently, as the team's one goal across friendlies against North Macedonia and Panama is a miserable return.
Can De Fougerolles replace Bombito?
Moise Bombito appears extremely unlikely to feature against Bosnia, but OneSoccer's Kristian Jack reports he will remain with the squad for the tournament. The 26-year-old, who broke his leg last October, looked shaky before limping off 32 minutes into his comeback match against Uzbekistan. It was previously reported that Bombito would be replaced in the squad entirely, so he's clearly not 100% fit, even if he stays with the team.
Luc de Fougerolles is primed to start in Bombito's stead. The 20-year-old has experienced the challenges of top-flight football after suffering relegation while on loan at Belgium's Dender, but Fulham demonstrated their belief in his potential by handing him a four-year contract last summer.
De Fougerolles impressively stepped up in June's friendlies. His decision-making belies his years, as he chooses the right moments to engage the attackers or to slow them down, allowing his teammates to recover. He was more composed than his experienced center-back partner, Derek Cornelius, against Ireland, taking greater care with his long balls and instigating attacks rather than just hacking the ball clear.
But De Fougerolles and Cornelius will need the whole team to defend to keep Sergej Barbarez's young and committed side at bay.
The fearlessness, balance, and technique of 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic, who tends to play to the left of Bosnia's attack, will test the fitness of right-back Alistair Johnston and the discipline of winger Tajon Buchanan. On the other side of Bosnia's forward line, 21-year-old PSV Eindhoven winger Esmir Bajraktarevic could cause problems for Richie Laryea.
Canada will need to limit service from wide areas and be alert when defending set pieces to prevent veteran Bosnian captain Edin Dzeko and imposing striker Haris Tabakovic from isolating themselves in the penalty area and exploiting crosses against the smaller De Fougerolles.
Can Canada win midfield battle?
Barbarez isn't afraid to shake things up with Bosnia. His preferred formation is 4-4-2, which would essentially mirror Canada's setup. But he's also bulked up his central midfield with three bodies, like in the team's recent friendly draw with North Macedonia.
Marsch needs to be prepared to change his tactics if his midfield is outnumbered - he can't repeat the same mistake his predecessor, John Herdman, made during the group-stage defeats to Croatia and Morocco at the 2022 World Cup. In those matches, Canada effectively surrendered the midfield skirmishes from kickoff.
The two main figures in midfield are obvious this time around: Stephen Eustaquio and Kone.
Eustaquio's star has fallen a little since the last World Cup. The Ontarian opened the 2022 campaign in Qatar shortly after he scored to eliminate Atletico Madrid from the Champions League, but he gradually dropped down the pecking order at Portuguese giants FC Porto. Thankfully for Marsch, Eustaquio found his groove after joining Los Angeles FC on loan in February and has always been a consistent performer for his country.
Kone has the highest potential out of Marsch's starters Friday, displaying the ability to tiptoe his way through tight spaces and bludgeon shots toward goal. Earlier in his career, his development was hindered by ill-advised transfers and testy relationships - most notably with his then-coach at Marseille, Roberto De Zerbi. However, Kone's move to Sassuolo marked a turning point, allowing him to start expressing himself and dictate the tempo in midfield. He'll be a vital box-to-box engine for Marsch.
Canada's options to add brawn and bite to its midfield are slim, since those aren't traits usually associated with Nathan Saliba, Mathieu Choiniere, and Osorio. And although Niko Sigur can operate in these areas, his defensive contributions aren't wholly reliable.
Prediction
Canada 1, Bosnia and Herzegovina 0
Canada and Bosnia are both industrious teams that play with emotion, but they lack technical quality in some key areas. While this could be an attritional and ugly game, Marsch has fostered a strong team spirit that may prove decisive in front of an expectant home crowd in Toronto. Canada has a great opportunity to get its first-ever win at a men's World Cup.
