TORONTO — Canadian men’s national team winger Ali Ahmed had read the rumors. Online, a small Instagram account had gone viral with a report that 30,000 Bosnian and Herzegovinian fans were set to descend upon Toronto’s BMO Field at Canada’s first-ever men’s World Cup game on home soil. 

It was believable. For generations, Canadian soccer has been too welcoming. Teams would arrive, only to be greeted by home-like atmospheres. Games in Toronto often felt like days away in hostile environments—and a game in Edmonton once even invited Caribbean drums to welcome the opposition. 

So when news began trickling out about the potential of a Bosnian insurgency, it was more than plausible, even for a World Cup game and even with a Canadian team that manager Jesse Marsch had praised as the “best-ever,” a far cry from when they ranked 122nd in the world back in 2014. 

Turns out, it was all fake. Instead, Friday saw a sea of red, with just a splash of blue, as Canadian fans pushed their men’s national team towards a historic first point at the World Cup, securing a 1–1 draw with Bosnia, after previously losing all six games in their previous tournament appearances in 2022 and 1986. 

“The energy was electric, we loved it, and it helped push us forward and keep us going,” Ahmed told Sports Illustrated after the match. “This is what we want from Canada. We want passionate fans who want the game to grow in Canada, so it was nice to see it, and it’s what I imagined it was going to be, especially in a city like Toronto.”

On the pitch, Canada, headlined by Juventus star Jonathan David, struggled to finish key chances, and it felt as though a disheartening loss was in the cards, despite an energetic performance that had created moments of promise. 

Yet, Marsch made bold changes in the second half, setting the stage for Cyle Larin—the nation’s second all-time leading scorer, but a player out of international form—to score his first goal for Les Rouges since 2024. Canada, for the first time, would walk away from a World Cup game in relative celebratory fashion. 

“It was an amazing feeling, just to score a goal at home, and I haven‘t scored in a while, but I knew it was coming...It is special for the fans, especially for getting a point at home,” Larin said.

“Just to feel the energy was amazing...I think that‘s the first time it felt like a home game for us, because a lot of times the teams come, their country has more [fans], but it was amazing, and they pushed us on to the end.”

An Early Start for The Voyageurs

The day began early for Canadian supporters, led by a group called ‘The Voyageurs’, who gathered at Trinity Bellwoods Park for a 30-minute walk up the road. As early as 10 a.m., fans began gathering for the 3:00 p.m. kickoff, with the red and white growing like a beating heart in the park, before pumping through the streets of Toronto.

Chanting and dancing to the tune of “Oh When the Saints,” the group blossomed with every drumbeat and clap as it gathered thousands, with flares, smoke bombs and flags outlining the path towards the stadium, which featured two expanded stands, bringing the capacity to over 43,000. 

When they arrived, they formed walls of red. Rumors of a Bosnian takeover were quickly dashed as away chants were drowned out by the passionate cry of the Canadian crowd. 

“How awesome it was to look around and see all those red jerseys and the sea of red in the stadium,” Marsch told reporters post-match, after calling for a “red-out” in March. 

“[The crowd] pushed the team. From the start of the match, it made them feel loved, made them feel confident, and really made them feel the home crowd. I think that was a big factor in why we were able to get the point today.”

Canada Finally Embraces Itself

The scenes ahead of the game had been remarkable. For a country of 41 million, built on its immigrants and multiculturalism, the march showcased Canada embracing itself as a soccer nation, with fans no longer solely supporting their countries of heritage. 

For hours before in the stadium, one could barely hear themself think. Any moment the Canadian team touched the ball during warm-ups, the crowd erupted. Yet, in some ways, it all felt grounded. 

Many fans, no doubt, had jumped on the World Cup bandwagon—for others, though, it was the peak of a journey, having seen the team in the doldrums of the world’s game. 

“We talked a lot about it, and we were aware of it,” Marsch said of preparing for a moment under the world’s spotlight. “A home World Cup is a different occasion, and it‘s a different feeling. The stadium even feels different, right? It's bigger now, and so it doesn't even feel like the same BMO Field that it's been over time.”

And as much as the crowd buzzed, it fell silent as Vancouver’s Michael Bublé serenaded the fans, before Ottawa’s Alanis Morissette belted out “O Canada” in both English and French. 

“I remember being here in 2010,” said Steven, a supporter from Peterborough, Ontario, who held a fake World Cup trophy and wore a red beret. “Watching this team play in front of no one, losing to countries I hadn’t heard of, it’s wild that this is even real.”

Canada’s identity shines within its national team and the fanbase. A fan amid the march donned a Stephen Eustáquio kit from his days representing Portugal’s youth teams—yet on Friday, Eustáquio lined up with Canada at his second World Cup, illustrating how the country’s fabric of cultures represents itself as much in the team as it does with its fans. 

It’s part of what makes Marsch so proud to lead the team, and it has allowed him to earn the group’s trust, paving the way for challenging decisions like the ones he faced in team selection and substitutions on Saturday. 

“This team is a second-generation Canadian, Portuguese, French, Jamaican, Colombian, Scottish, you go around the room,” Marsch said ahead of the match, when asked what he has enjoyed most from the role to this point. 

“What always impressed me is that Stephen feels a lot of Portuguese in his heart, man, is he Canadian! Every one of these boys is incredibly Canadian... I think they‘re the best representation, they‘re impeccable in their character, they‘re impeccable in their work ethic and commitment to each other, that‘s what we want to show.”

A Hopeful Start Before Vancouver

After experiencing the emotions of Toronto’s World Cup opener, Canada is feeling hopeful. From coast-to-coast-to-coast, fans excused themselves from work to catch the matches in overflowing bars and viewing parties, with momentum now only building towards the rest of the tournament. 

With the first point secured, there’s an added excitement to what the rest of Group B action could bring. The next match comes against Qatar on June 18, before the group stage finale against Switzerland on June 24. 

Both matches will be in Vancouver at the 54,000-seat BC Place, where the team hopes to secure more landmark moments and win out the group, which would allow them to stay in Canada for the round of 32 and round of 16. 

Vancouver, too, with the city’s Science World decked out as the official matchball and embedded cultural and historic passion for soccer, should serve as a remarkable host.

“You could feel [the fans] cheering louder... pushing the group, whether it was a corner or a free kick, or being hard on the referee when maybe he gives a soft foul or whatever, that‘s what we need,” Marsch said. “The fans in Vancouver... I know that it‘s a football city. I know they love their Vancouver Whitecaps, and I know they love their national team, so I expect a full stadium again, red jerseys everywhere.”

Before Friday’s historic meeting, Canada wasn’t sure what a home World Cup really meant and whether it would just be another day for other nations to show out. By the final whistle, with a first-ever point secured, they knew Canada had arrived. Like so many others, finally, a soccer country.  

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