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For the first time in their program’s hardscrabble history, Canada’s men will play in a FIFA World Cup here at home, beginning with this afternoon’s all-important opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

For the players, kickoff will come as a relief — and a release. It's as though they've been actors waiting backstage while their theatre is being built around them. (In Toronto, that's literally true: BMO Field — renamed Toronto Stadium for the tournament — has gone from 28,000 seats to nearly 46,000 in amazingly short order, a cottage by the lake turned into a fortress.)

"I just want to get started," midfielder Ismaël Koné, who's returned to training after he spiked a fever on Wednesday, said earlier this week. "We've been practising and pushing and speaking about tactics, speaking about the opposite team, speaking about ourselves, speaking about the moment.… The moment is now."

Canada, having never won a game in its two previous men's World Cup appearances, finds itself today under the unfamiliar weight of expectation. If Marsch's men don't advance out of their group — they'll also face Qatar and Switzerland in Vancouver — they will be considered disappointments, even failures.

Four points should be enough to get through. They will probably beat Qatar. They will probably suffer against the Swiss. That makes today's opener the likely decider, in a nervous-making way. The beginning feels like a potential ending.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET.

Some quick observations from my 30-minute walk down Dufferin Street to the stadium — the quieter route compared to the Canadian parade: 

There are volunteers everywhere near the perimeter, so even though there appears to be a maze of fencing, fans likely won't get lost. One volunteer, rather creatively, was using a foam finger to point the way. 

Canada's Voyageurs met face-to-face with Bosnia-Herzegovina fans approaching the Toronto Stadium. Playful boo-ing took over both sides, with some shaking hands ahead of the match this afternoon. 

Bosnian fans Sarah-Leila Boball and Lara Hrvat, who came to Toronto just for the game, said they expect their team will win today's match against Canada. 

"We have potential," Boball said. "I feel outnumbered, but I think at the stadium it's going to be way more Bosnians."

Ben Cobbold and Liam Delaney wore mounted police costumes to the Voyageurs parade Friday. They felt it represented Canada well. 

"Here we are, hosting a World Cup; I've been waiting my whole life for this," said Cobbold. "Now it's about bringing people that aren't a fan of the sport to become a fan of the sport to really showcase what Canadian soccer means."

Cobbold was at the Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022. He watched Alphonso Davies score Canada's first goal against Croatia. 

While my allegiance lies elsewhere, I can honestly say I'm looking forward to seeing what Team Canada does in their second consecutive world tournament.

I started the day at Trinity Bellwoods, where the Voyageurs, a Canadian soccer supporters group, began their parade. Canadian fans then made their way to Toronto Stadium.

Javier Brown says, growing up, Canada was never part of the FIFA World Cup conversations. Since 2022, that's changed, and he's looking forward to seeing a first goal on home soil in today's game against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"This is a big moment for Canada. It's not every time you're going to be able to show support for your home country in a World Cup game," he said.

Canada's never won, nor drawn, at a World Cup.

In two appearances at the tournament, our country has been outscored 12-2. 

But there's optimism surrounding this year's team, and there's a lot of expectation — from both fans and the international press — that this team will make it into the knockout round. 

Canada enters this match 30th in FIFA's world rankings, while today's opponent, Bosnia and Herzegovina, is ranked 64th. 

That said, Bosnia beat 12th-ranked Italy to qualify for this tournament, so don't read too much into the rankings when it comes to today's match. 

For the first time in their program’s hardscrabble history, Canada’s men will play in a FIFA World Cup here at home, beginning with this afternoon’s all-important opener against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

For the players, kickoff will come as a relief — and a release. It's as though they've been actors waiting backstage while their theatre is being built around them. (In Toronto, that's literally true: BMO Field — renamed Toronto Stadium for the tournament — has gone from 28,000 seats to nearly 46,000 in amazingly short order, a cottage by the lake turned into a fortress.)

"I just want to get started," midfielder Ismaël Koné, who's returned to training after he spiked a fever on Wednesday, said earlier this week. "We've been practising and pushing and speaking about tactics, speaking about the opposite team, speaking about ourselves, speaking about the moment.… The moment is now."

Canada, having never won a game in its two previous men's World Cup appearances, finds itself today under the unfamiliar weight of expectation. If Marsch's men don't advance out of their group — they'll also face Qatar and Switzerland in Vancouver — they will be considered disappointments, even failures.

Four points should be enough to get through. They will probably beat Qatar. They will probably suffer against the Swiss. That makes today's opener the likely decider, in a nervous-making way. The beginning feels like a potential ending.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET.

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