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Cyle Larin’s equalizer gives Canada its first World Cup points after Jovo Lukic put Bosnia ahead in the first half.
Updated on 12 Jun 2026
Canadian striker Cyle Larin came off the bench to rescue his side’s 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a Group B opener that for a long time looked like they might lose to their World Cup rivals.
Bosnia took the lead in the 21st minute of Friday’s game when Jovo Lukic headed in a corner for his first international goal back at the World Cup in 12 years.
Canada hit the front and could have equalized through Richie Laryea in the 53rd, but Bosnia’s Sead Kolasinac miraculously controlled his shot to deflect off the crossbar and into the defence.
The Canadians continued to attack relentlessly, but despite creating a number of chances, they lacked precision in their finishing as the Bosnians met a succession of crosses and looked set to win.
Larin had other ideas, however, when he was introduced in the 76th minute and he made an immediate impact, bursting into the box and firing home a deflected shot less than three minutes later to equalize and send the home crowd into raptures.
The result gave Canada their first World Cup point but left them with the win they craved.
Jonathan David had the best chance to put Canada ahead early on, but the country’s best player sent his shot from the center of the area past goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj.
After Lukic put the battle-tested Dragons on the board, it was Canada, roused by the red-clad crowd, who took over.
Canada pressed on for the rest of the half but were unable to establish a strong presence in Bosnia’s half, with almost every ball they sent into the area quickly cleared from danger.
The hosts came close at the start of the second period when Laryea crossed his goal and his shot looked set to be over the line until Kolasinac stepped in in the last minute to finish off the crossbar.
As the game opened up, Bosnia almost doubled the lead when Ermedin Demirovic went through on goal, but Maxime Crepeau, making his World Cup debut after missing the 2022 edition with a broken leg, made the save.
That led to Southampton striker Larin, who earned the honor of scoring Canada’s first World Cup goal on home soil when he fired a right-footed shot from the center of the box in the 78th minute, as soon as he entered the game.
