Canada's World Cup moment arrives at home

Toronto, Canada: "The moment is now," Canada coach Jesse Marsch declared on the evening before the country's first ever World Cup match on home soil.

He was referring to his players, but for Canadian football fans coloring downtown Toronto in red jerseys on Friday morning, the same message applied.

Growing up in the capital Ottawa, 26-year-old Dakota Boal told AFP he would "always be the only one playing soccer," with hockey and baseball far more popular among his peers. cricket-ipl.co.za

"In the last (few) years, ever since we got into the (2022) World Cup, it feels like it's exploded," he said, before dashing into an Uber to head to the match.

It was a common theme among the supporters filtering towards the stadium ahead of kickoff against Bosnia-Herzegovina: a sport whose popularity has been growing in Canada for decades, finally set for a moment on the world stage.

Erin Clement is a teacher and football coach in Guelph, about 100 kilometres west of Toronto.

As she headed towards the stadium with her sister and a friend, she told AFP all three of her daughters play soccer, and every tournament she organizes at her school is full.

"At the youth level, it's extremely popular," she said, voicing confidence that the World Cup could jolt the sport to a new level.

"We've already felt it, just being here," she said, praising a surge of football enthusiasm permeating across the city as she walked with thousands of others towards the stadium hours before kickoff.

Henri Balcazar, who planned to watch at a fan zone near the stadium, said he was raised playing football, partly due to his Peruvian father.

He and his friends with South American backgrounds have watched as the game's popularity has grown around them, but having the World Cup at home marked a new milestone.

"I never expected it to happen in Canada," he said.

Canada is hosting 13 matches in a tournament also hosted by the United States and Mexico.

Doha, Qatar: When Brazil and Morocco meet in their opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the early of Sunday, the spotlight will naturally fall on the two faces of a new footballing era for their respective nations.

On one side is Vinicius Junior, Brazil’s electrifying winger and the face of the Selecao’s new era. On the other stands Achraf Hakimi, Morocco’s captain, and the driving force behind the Atlas Lions’ rise on the world stage.

For 90 minutes at MetLife Stadium, football’s most successful nation and Africa’s modern trailblazer may find their fortunes shaped by a duel measured in moments and mistakes.

The matchup is compelling because it pits one of football’s most devastating dribblers against one of its most complete full-backs.

Vinicius has established himself as one of the world’s most dangerous one-on-one attackers. His ability to isolate defenders and create chaos in transition has made him one of the most productive forwards in world football.

Yet few defenders are better equipped to handle him than Hakimi. The Moroccan captain possesses the recovery pace and tactical intelligence that have made him one of the game’s elite full-backs.

The intriguing aspect of this battle is that Hakimi is not a traditional defensive full-back who sits deep and waits. He attacks relentlessly.

That means Vinicius will not simply be trying to beat a defender; he will also be tracking one of Morocco’s attacking outlets.

Their rivalry is not new. Vinicius and Hakimi first crossed paths in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 in 2022, when Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain produced one of the competition’s most memorable ties.

In the first leg Hakimi largely succeeded in limiting Vinícius’ influence, matching the Brazilian stride for stride.

However, in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid mounted a famous comeback, Vinicius became increasingly influential, helping stretch PSG’s defence and turn the tie in Real’s favour.

The pair’s most recent meeting came at the same MetLife Stadium during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup semi-final, where Hakimi helped PSG shut out a Real Madrid attack featuring both Vinicius and Kylian Mbappe in a dominant 4-0 victory. That history adds another layer to Sunday’s showdown.

From Brazil’s perspective, Vinicius remains the key to unlocking Morocco’s disciplined defensive structure.

Under Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil’s attack is designed to create isolated situations where Vinicius can attack defenders in space.

His ability to draw multiple defenders often creates space for Brazil’s other attacking threats. Brazil know that if Vinicius consistently wins his duel with Hakimi, Morocco’s defensive shape could quickly unravel.

Morocco, meanwhile, have built their recent success on organisation, resilience and tactical discipline. The Atlas Lions stunned the world by reaching the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022 and have since cemented their reputation as one of international football’s most difficult teams to break down.

Hakimi remains central to everything they do. Whether driving forward on counterattacks or recovering defensively against elite wingers.

There is also a fascinating risk involved. If Hakimi pushes too high, he could leave space behind him for Vinícius to exploit. If he stays deep to contain the Brazilian, Morocco lose one of their primary attacking outlets.

Brazil coach Ancelotti has described the encounter as “the most important” match of the group stage, underlining the significance of a fixture that could determine who finishes top of Group C.

Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi highlighted the need for collective defending and attacking to neutralise Brazil’s dangerous wingers, while emphasising that Morocco respects but does not fear their opponents.

Their Group C meeting has already been identified as one of the standout clashes of the opening round. And when the whistle blows, all eyes will inevitably drift to Brazil’s left flank, where Vinicius and Hakimi will renew a rivalry that could ultimately decide the fixture.

Toronto, Canada: Canada coach Jesse Marsch said Thursday the chance to lead the team in a World Cup on home soil was the reason he took the job, hours before the co-hosts' opening match against Bosnia-Herzegovina.

"If you do this for a living this is where you want to be," the American told reporters at Toronto's BMO stadium, which is hosting six World Cup contests.

"I came here to lead them in the World Cup, right, in a home World Cup. I wanted this responsibility," he said.

"I love sitting in that coach's box when the stadium's full and the pressure's on and everybody thinks you're an idiot," Marsch said.

The former US international had been tipped as a possible head coach for his home country after he was sacked by Leeds United in 2023.

But he ended up north of the border, with a chance to secure Canada's first ever World Cup victory.

Canada qualified for two previous World Cups, 1986 and 2022, but lost all six of its matches.

Hopes are higher this year with a roster that includes several players competing in top European leagues.

But Marsch said Canada's top player, Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies, remains unavailable for the Bosnia match because of a hamstring issue.

"We did an MRI with him yesterday. It showed very positive signs that he's healing incredibly well," Marsch said, confirming Davies "will not be available tomorrow."

Stephen Eustaquio will captain the home side in the first ever World Cup match in Canada.

"It's a dream come true," said Eustaquio, who plays for Los Angeles FC of the MLS.

Marsch was asked about nerves within his squad, which is facing unprecedented expectations to advance out of the group stage, but said the environment has been "pretty normal."

"There wasn't really a need for big mental and psychological messages. We're all aware of the World Cup. We're all aware of it being at home. We're all excited," Marsch said.

Bosnia-Herzegovina beat Italy to qualify for its second World Cup, and coach Sergej Barbarez said his side had plenty of experience playing higher-ranked countries.

"We are, of course, sort of an underdog here," Barbarez said, adding: "the road (to the tournament) was by no means easy.

But he noted that his team's ability to surprise rivals has limits.

"I love this game between David and Goliath, but the world gets to know you after a while."