Canada and US open World Cup campaigns on home soil
The 2026 World Cup continues Friday with Canada facing Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto and the US meeting Paraguay in Inglewood.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
3 min read
Canada and the United States begin their 2026 World Cup campaigns on Friday, bringing the expanded tournament to two of its host nations after Mexico opened play a day earlier. Al Jazeera reported that the matches in Toronto and the Los Angeles area are part of the largest World Cup yet, with 48 teams and 104 games across the US, Canada and Mexico.
Canada face Bosnia and Herzegovina at BMO Field in Toronto, with kickoff set for 3 p.m. local time, or 19:00 GMT, according to Al Jazeera. The US play Paraguay later at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, at 6 p.m. local time, or 01:00 GMT on June 13.
How to watch
In the United States, Al Jazeera reported that English-language coverage is on FOX and FS1, with all 104 matches available through FOX One and the FOX Sports app. Spanish-language broadcasts are on Telemundo and Universo, with streaming on Peacock.
Al Jazeera reported that US viewers without cable can also use services that carry FOX and FS1, including Fubo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream. In Canada, TSN is the main English-language broadcaster, selected games are on CTV, and French-language coverage is on RDS and RDS2, according to Al Jazeera.
Canada favoured in first meeting
Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina have not played each other before, Al Jazeera reported. Canada are still seeking their first World Cup victory after losing all three games in their previous appearances in 1986 and 2022.
Al Jazeera reported that Canada have climbed from outside FIFA’s top 100 in 2017 to 30th in the rankings. Opta’s pre-match model made Canada the favourite, giving the hosts a 58.3 percent win probability across 10,000 simulations, compared with 20 percent for Bosnia and Herzegovina and 21.7 percent for a draw.
US-Paraguay looks tighter
The US and Paraguay have met once at a World Cup, with the Americans winning 3-0 at the inaugural tournament in 1930, according to Al Jazeera. Their more recent meetings cited by Al Jazeera came in Copa America play, with Paraguay winning in 2007 and the US taking a narrow victory in 2016.
Opta projected a closer match in Inglewood than in Toronto. Its 10,000 simulations gave the US a 39.8 percent chance to win, Paraguay a 33.6 percent chance, and a draw a 26.6 percent chance.
Early tournament issues
Mexico’s 2-0 win over South Africa became the first World Cup opener with three red cards, Al Jazeera reported. South Africa’s Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off before Mexico’s Cesar Montes received a red card in stoppage time; Al Jazeera noted that only Portugal against the Netherlands in 2006, with four sendings-off, had more red cards in a World Cup match.
Al Jazeera also reported that Japan captain Wataru Endo withdrew from the tournament with a foot injury and announced his retirement from international football. Endo, a 33-year-old Liverpool midfielder, said he had no regrets after trying to recover from surgery earlier in the year.
Off the field, El Pais reported that US Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security warned foreign influencers that earning money from content made in the US requires the proper visa. Al Jazeera said it could not independently verify that report.
Ticket costs have also drawn scrutiny, according to Al Jazeera, after empty seats were visible during South Korea’s 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in Guadalajara. Al Jazeera reported that FIFA President Gianni Infantino had defended dynamic pricing a day earlier, while the expanded tournament is expected by FIFA to generate $13bn over its four-year cycle.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.