Canada faces Bosnia in World Cup opener amid injury woes

Canada will kick off the 2026 FIFA World Cup without their best player. Star forward and captain Alphonso Davies is expected to miss the June 12 opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto, sidelined by a hamstring injury sustained during his club duties with Bayern Munich.

What we know about the Davies situation

The 25-year-old picked up the hamstring injury while playing for Bayern Munich, and the timeline puts his availability for the opener in serious doubt. Head coach Jesse Marsch has struck an optimistic tone publicly, suggesting Davies could return for Canada’s second or third group-stage match depending on how rehab progresses.

Marsch has expressed confidence in his squad’s depth beyond Davies. Canada’s roster has matured considerably since their last World Cup appearance in Qatar in 2022, with several players now featuring regularly at top European clubs.

The Group B opener at BMO Field

The match is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. ET on June 12, 2026, at BMO Field in Toronto. It’s a Group B fixture.

For Canada, co-hosting alongside the United States and Mexico, the Canadian men’s national team will play their World Cup opener on home soil for the first time.

For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this will be their first World Cup appearance since 2014, when they competed in Brazil. That’s a 12-year gap between tournament appearances.

The expanded 48-team format for this World Cup means more nations, more games, and more paths through the group stage.

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