LIVE UPDATES: Canada hosts Bosnia-Herzegovina in first home soil match of the FIFA World Cup

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Stephen Eustáquio kicks things off for Canada and the first men's World Cup match on Canadian soil is underway!

Canada’s bench is right under us.

Looking at the players, I can tell you they were amped in those final moments before kickoff. A few final hugs, a spray from a cold water bottle and it’s time for battle.

Let’s go. 

Stephen Eustáquio leads Canada onto the field to a huge roar, which gets louder as fireworks explode over the south end. 

The field is draped in the two nation’s flags. I can’t imagine how intense that must feel.

The flags of Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina have been unfurled on the pitch and the players take the field for their national anthems.

Singing the national anthems before an international soccer match is standard, but new for this year, all 26 players from each squad will be on the pitch for the national anthems.

Previously, only the starting 11 would have been on the pitch for the anthems, with substitutes lining up on the sidelines, along with their coaching staff. 

Alanis Morissette was billed as one of the headliners for today's opening ceremony, but we hadn't seen her perform yet. 

Now we can see why: she's singing Canada's national anthem!

It starts with a speech by Canadian-American actor Will Arnett that celebrates Canada's multiculturalism. 

Arnett tells the crowd Canada is a country shaped by many journeys and many cultures. 

"It's the story of who we are, and today, alongside Mexico and the United States, we are proud to share this moment with the world."

That's followed by a procession of flag-bearers carrying the flags of each participating country. 

Canada's flag-bearer, obviously, gets a big cheer from the crowd. 

I've attended many games at this stadium, from the MLS Cup and Canadian Championship finals to Team Canada qualifiers and friendlies.

The fans have always been loud and proud to support the men in red. But there are few times I've seen this stadium buzzing as passionately and emphatically as today. 

Canadian and Bosnian fans are jumping up and down together, pumping their fists to the music and just generally having a good time.

This feels like a World Cup-worthy atmosphere. It's incredible to take this in live.

Canada wants a win, but a draw would also be a World Cup first.

Further, it would help the team's chances of advancing into the knockout round — a draw is worth one point in the standings.

If Canada can draw here and beat Qatar — the lowest ranked team in Group B — that would be a solid start. 

Only minutes to go now.

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-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. 

To date, Alphonso Davies is the only Canadian to have scored a goal at a men's World Cup. (Yes, Canada scored twice in Qatar 2022, but the other was an own goal by Morocco.)

Here's a replay of that great goal in Qatar from Nov. 27, 2022, when Canada stunned Croatia within two minutes of kickoff with its first World Cup goal.

Will we witness someone else joining Davies on the scoresheet today? 

I'm now in Toronto's Liberty Village, where the party has also started. Left Field Brewery co-founder Mandie Murphy says the FIFA World Cup 2026 crowd is like no other.

"We've done a lot of really fun sporting event stuff here," she said. "I haven't experienced a crowd like this before. It's electric." 

Murphy says the bar spent months preparing for the event. Now, it's filled to the brim with Canadian jerseys, along with some fans with Bosnian flags, taking in the scenery with a couple of beers in hand.

"The crowds have definitely exceeded our expectations," she said. "It has been wild, from hours before we even opened the doors. We had people lining up outside."

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