Canada had to wait until its seventh World Cup match to celebrate something that had eluded it for decades. Thanks to a goal by Cyle Larin in the final minutes of the match, the co-hosting team salvaged a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina and earned its first-ever World Cup point.
The Canadian team played in Toronto, watched by thousands of fans dressed in red who cheered them on throughout the match. Among the attendees were notable figures such as actor Ryan Reynolds and hockey star Connor McDavid.
However, the party seemed to take a turn for the worse when Bosnia-Herzegovina took the lead in the 21st minute. Jovo Lukic capitalized on a set piece to score with a header and put the European side ahead. The goal marked the forward’s first with his national team.
Canada sought to respond for much of the match and came close to equalizing in the second half. In the 54th minute, Richie Laryea received a pass from Stephen Eustaquio in front of the goal, but the shot hit the crossbar following a deflection.
As the clock ticked down and defeat seemed inevitable, Cyle Larin stepped up for Canada. The forward came on as a substitute and, just two minutes later, found the ball inside the box. After receiving a pass from Promise David, he swiftly turned and finished with a powerful right-footed shot to make it 1-1 in the 78th minute.
The goal held special significance for Canada. In addition to averting defeat, it marked the country’s second-ever World Cup goal and earned them their first point following six consecutive losses between Mexico 1986 and Qatar 2022.
The Canadian squad faced the match without its star player, Alphonso Davies, who remains sidelined with a hamstring injury. The Bayern Munich defender was the one who scored Canada’s first World Cup goal in the previous tournament.
Following the draw, Canada will continue its campaign in Vancouver, where they will face Qatar on June 18 and then Switzerland on June 24, seeking to continue writing new chapters in its World Cup history.
Bosnia-Herzegovina let the victory slip away but earned an important point in its bid to advance past the group stage in just its second World Cup appearance.
