Football

LIVE | FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 2: Co-hosts Canada, USA begin their campaigns

Canada take on Bosnia & Herzegovina in day two's first fixture before the USA face Paraguay in their opening group-stage game.
Canada will be taking on Bosnia & Herzegovina on day 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026.
Canada will be taking on Bosnia & Herzegovina on day 2 of the FIFA World Cup 2026.(Photo | X, @BosniaNTBall)
TNIE online desk
Summary

Welcome to TNIE's live coverage of day two of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with co-hosts Canada and the United States both beginning their campaigns on Friday.

Canada take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto as they look to secure the first World Cup victory in their history. However, Les Rouges will be without captain and star player Alphonso Davies, who is continuing his recovery from a hamstring injury.

Later, the US face Paraguay in Los Angeles in their opening Group Stage match. The Americans are playing their first World Cup finals match on home soil since 1994 and will be wary of a Paraguay side known for its discipline and tournament experience.

The tournament got under way on Thursday with co-hosts Mexico beating South Africa 2-0 in front of a packed crowd at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. In the day's second match, South Korea came from behind to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in Guadalajara.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

2026 FIFA World Cup

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