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HIGHLIGHTS | FIFA World Cup 2026, Day 2: U.S. gets electric win over Paraguay, Canada draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina

Co-hosts Canada grabbed a second-half equalizer to draw 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on Friday, earning their first-ever point at a World Cup.
United States celebrates after an own goal by Paraguay's Damian Bobadilla during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026.
United States celebrates after an own goal by Paraguay's Damian Bobadilla during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. Photo | AP
TNIE online desk
Summary

Welcome to TNIE's live coverage of day two of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The United States and Mexico had a dream start to a World Cup on their home soil.

Canada's first game wasn't too bad, either.

The Americans put an exclamation point on Friday's action with a 4-1 win over Paraguay in Inglewood, California, building a 3-0 lead by halftime and matching the biggest U.S. World Cup victory.

Earlier Friday, Canada rallied for a 1-1 draw against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto.

The World Cup gets into the meat of its schedule starting Saturday — highlighted by an intriguing matchup between Brazil and Morocco. There are at least four games scheduled each day until June 27.

Summary

On day two of the FIFA World Cup, co-hosts Canada will face Bosnia & Herzegovina in a Group B fixture at 12:30 am IST, followed by hosts USA taking on Paraguay in a Group D match at 6:30 am IST.

Day one saw co-hosts Mexico beat South Africa 2-0 in a drama-filled opening match as three players were sent off with red cards.

In the second match of the day, Hwang In-beom scored a goal and set up another as South Korea rallied to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1.

A glittering opening ceremony at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City marked the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on June 11, celebrating football, music and the shared heritage of hosts Mexico, the United States and Canada.

USA play first World Cup finals game on home soil since 1994

The United States begin their World Cup challenge on Friday, taking on a savvy Paraguay side in a high-stakes match in Los Angeles.

The World Cup co-hosts know they must avoid a banana skin at the futuristic SoFi Stadium in the first World Cup finals game on US soil for 32 years.

US head coach Mauricio Pochettino says he expects his team to do much more than simply progress from Group D.

"For me, successful is to win. Is to win tomorrow. And win after," the former Tottenham coach said on Thursday.

READ FULL STORY HERE

Christian Pulisic is ready to shoulder the burden of US hopes in home World Cup opener vs Paraguay

Christian Pulisic is the most accomplished and most famous player on his national team at the exact time when his nation is hosting a World Cup.

Only a handful of prominent players in the past few decades have faced this confluence of talent and timing. They include a selection of generational greats: Zinedine Zidane for France in 1998, Michael Ballack for Germany in 2006, Neymar for Brazil in 2014.

“I can't even imagine the weight that's on his shoulders,” teammate Tyler Adams said. “From such a young age, he was the hope of American soccer.”

Pulisic does not shy from the spotlight that will glare more brightly than ever in the next few weeks. In fact, he repeated Thursday that this challenge is “what I've always wanted.”

Now 27 years old, Pulisic has enough achievement and enough faith in his teammates to focus on how far the Americans can go, not how far they might fall.

Pochettino says top US defender Chris Richards is available for World Cup opener after ankle injury

Coach Mauricio Pochettino said Thursday that Richards “is available to be selected” when the Americans host Paraguay on Friday night.

“We will decide whether he'll start from the beginning of the game or (come off) the bench,” Pochettino added. “Our medical staff and performance worked really hard (on Richards') recovery. It's a really good feeling to have 26 players available to be selected.”

Richards' presence will be important to the Americans' hopes of slowing down the world's best teams, and Paraguay presents an immediate challenge.

Canada seeks first World Cup win in Toronto

The Canadians are searching for their first World Cup win when they face Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday after going 0-3 in both 1986 and 2022.

Canada has been on the rise over the past decade in the soccer world, moving to No. 30 in FIFA's rankings after being ranked below 100 as recently as 2017.

Forward Jonathan David — who plays for Italian club Juventus — is the country's career scoring leader with 39 goals in 77 matches.

Bosnia is playing in its second World Cup and first since 2014, when the country was eliminated in the group stage.

US hopes games on home soil lead to World Cup breakthrough

The Americans — who enter the tournament ranked 17th by FIFA — hope that matches on their home soil can lead to a World Cup breakthrough.

The US has advanced to the knockout round in four of the last six World Cups it has played, but hasn't been able to get past the quarterfinals. Coach Mauricio Pochettino was hired in 2024 after successful stints at several European clubs. It's a big tournament for forward Christian Pulisic, who enters this World Cup in his prime and with high expectations.

The Americans' first opponent, Paraguay, is the lowest-ranked team in Group D at No. 47 and back in the World Cup for the first time in 16 years. Ramon Sosa and Julio Enciso are among the team's best players.

In the earlier game, co-hosts Canada grabbed a second-half equalizer to draw 1-1 with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto on Friday, earning their first-ever point at a World Cup.

Cyle Larin levelled for the home team in the 78th minute after Jovo Lukic put Bosnia ahead midway through the first half in the first World Cup finals game played on Canadian soil.

Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina kick off at Toronto stadium 

On the second day of the FIFA World Cup 2026, co-hosts Canada is playing against Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Toronto Stadium, after a spectacular opening ceremony featuring Alanis Morissette, Michael Buble, Nora Fatehi and Vegedream.

The match began at 12:30 AM IST.

Larin scores in 78th minute to rally Canada to 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina in World Cup opener

Canada's Cyle Larin (9) celebrates after scoring his sides first goal of the game in the second half of the World Cup Group B soccer match between Canada and Bosnia, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Toronto.
Canada's Cyle Larin (9) celebrates after scoring his sides first goal of the game in the second half of the World Cup Group B soccer match between Canada and Bosnia, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Toronto. Photo | AP

Canada earned its first World Cup point in seven matches on soccer's biggest stage, and coach Jesse Marsch noted the sea of red-clad, maple leaf-waving fans who continuously belted out chants of “Go Ca-na-da!” helped get it. Full Report

USA start World Cup bid with first game on home soil since 1994

A talented crop of US players led by Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie need to prove themselves against the world's best Paraguay, while dealing with the pressure of playing in front of their own fans.

A jubilant Southern California crowd arrived early to cheer on an American team with high hopes heading into the final home opener for this tournament's three co-hosting nations. Led by midfielder Christian Pulisic and a core of his experienced contemporaries, the U.S. has reached No. 17 in FIFA's rankings with realistic ambitions of winning its group and then advancing from a knockout match for just the second time in its World Cup history.

US open its home World Cup with a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay, sparked by Balogun's 2 goals

Folarin Balogun scored twice in the Americans' historic three-goal first half, and the US opened its first home World Cup in 32 years with its biggest win in the tournament, a dynamic 4-1 victory over Paraguay.

Christian Pulisic had an assist in a stellar first-half playmaking performance for the Americans, who enthralled their Southern California fans with an aggressive attack while streaking to a 3-0 halftime lead - the team's largest in any World Cup game.

Gio Reyna ripped another goal in the dying moments of second-half injury time, giving the Americans four goals in a World Cup match for the first time.

The U.S. scored only three goals combined in its four matches at the Qatar World Cup four years ago, and it had never scored more than three in a World Cup match. Full Report

2026 FIFA World Cup

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