Toronto-based sports writer, baseball nerd, and 2:52 marathoner

When Canada kicks off the FIFA World Cup on June 12 in Toronto, Italy won&#8217;t be the opponent.
The Italians will miss the men&#8217;s World Cup for an astonishing third time in a row, after Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina pulled off a shocking upset on Tuesday.
The Eastern European side beat Italy in penalties at home to qualify for its first FIFA World Cup since 2014, joining Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar in Group B.
Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina will be Canada&#8217;s first opponent as the men&#8217;s national team opens up its FIFA World Cup campaign in Toronto on June 12.
Canada (world No. 30) and Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina (No. 65) have never played against each other in a men&#8217;s international fixture. But if Canada has an advantage, it is in age and speed.
According to Transfermarkt, the average age of Canada&#8217;s starting XI is slightly younger than Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina (26.4 to 28). Statistically, Canada will also look to its speed from Tajon Buchanan, Alphonso Davies, and Marcelo Flores to tactically break down Bosnia&#8217;s veteran back four.
Canada&#8217;s manager, Jesse Marsch, has a lot of faith in the three young stars.
&#8220;Marcelo is a creative midfielder, and I think he can be a real weapon for us,&#8221; said Marsch after Saturday&#8217;s 2-2 draw against Iceland. &#8220;And Tajon, I love to watch defenders struggle to figure him out&#8211;he&#8217;s a huge threat.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_2257396" style="width: 2058px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-2257396" class="size-full wp-image-2257396" src="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/canada-soccer-team.jpg" alt="canada soccer team fifa" width="2048" height="1365" srcset="https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/canada-soccer-team.jpg 2048w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/canada-soccer-team-500x333.jpg 500w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/canada-soccer-team-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/canada-soccer-team-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://images-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com/uploads/2026/03/canada-soccer-team-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px" />Lucas Medeiros/Daily Hive</div>
Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina were one of four European countries to punch their ticket to the FIFA World Cup in do-or-die matches on Tuesday.
Czechia upset No. 20-ranked Denmark and will join Mexico, South Africa, and South Korea in Group A.
Türkiye held off Kosovo, and will join USA, Paraguay, and Australia in Group D. That group will feature a match at BC Place in Vancouver on June 13 between Australia and Türkiye.
Sweden, meanwhile, beat Poland and will play in Group F, along with the Netherlands, Japan, and Tunisia.
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When Canada kicks off the FIFA World Cup on June 12 in Toronto, Italy won't be the opponent as everyone expected.