Canada will face Bosnia-Herzegovina to open FIFA World Cup
Listen to this articleEstimated 2 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.Canada will face Bosnia-Herzegovina to open the FIFA World Cup in June.Bosnia-Herzegovina defeated Italy 1-1 (4-1) in penalties in a World Cup qualifier playoff final Tuesday and will now join Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B at the tournament, and face Canada in Toronto on June 12.Italy, currently No. 12 in FIFA's men's rankings, was the favourite going into the match, boasting talents such as Fiorentina's Moise Kean and Federico Dimarco, a winger for Inter Milan. The country has won four World Cups (1934, 1938, 1982 and 2006), but missed out on both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.No. 66 Bosnia-Herzegovina hosted the playoff game in Zenica and was seeking its second World Cup appearance after playing in Brazil back in 2014.The home squad is captained by Edin Dzeko, a 40-year-old striker who plays for Fenerbahce in Turkey and is the country's all-time leading scorer.Italy held a 4-1-1 record in all-time matchups with Bosnia-Herzegovina, and was coming off a 2-0 win over Northern Ireland on Thursday. Bosnia-Herzegovina beat Wales on penalties the same day.The World Cup is being played in 16 cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico, starting with games in Mexico City and Guadalajara on June 11. The final will be held in East Rutherford, N.J., on July 19.Toronto is hosting six games during the tournament, while seven more will be played in Vancouver.
