As Mexico kicked off the World Cup with a win over South Africa amid a flurry of red cards, the third co-host remained in the shadows. “Canada is often overlooked, we will be fine about that,” said Canadian football journalist Har Johal. “We will smile, be polite, and allow the countries down south take the headlines.”
But behind the stereotype lies a steely belief. Canada open their campaign on Friday against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto – the second day of the tournament – and for the first time they bring a team that Johal calls “the best Canadian team we have ever had.”
“Canada, overlooked co-host, opens World Cup against Bosnia-Herzegovina with its 'best ever team' and a steely belief.”
This will be Canada’s third men’s World Cup finals, following 1986 and 2022. Their record is six games, six losses, two goals scored and 12 conceded. At Qatar 2022 they were touted as dark horses after an impressive qualifying campaign, but were outclassed in a group containing Belgium, Croatia and Morocco – the latter two reaching the semi-finals.
Now, with more top-level experience and the boost of a home crowd, expectations are rising. “The timing is fantastic, but it has been building for Canada – we have seen more players in Europe, the talent is there,” Johal said. “People are getting excited, it is slowly building. People are really behind Team Canada, it is ramping up every day.”
Off the pitch, Canada has avoided the travel cost controversies of some US locations because both host cities, Vancouver and Toronto, have city‑centre stadiums. But ticketing issues and hotel prices are steep: downtown Vancouver hotels have rates of more than $1,000 per night during the World Cup, some above $2,000 on match days. That compares with an average of $359 per night during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver – a surge of over 300% in some cases compared to typical 2025 prices.
“This is a great generation,” Johal added. “The best Canadian team we have ever had.”