Larin’s Late Goal Earns Canada Its First World Cup Point in a 1-1 Draw

For 78 minutes at Toronto Stadium, Canada's first home World Cup match was turning into the same old story. Then Cyle Larin came off the bench, took two touches, and ended a 40-year wait.

The substitute striker scored in the 78th minute on Friday to rescue a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina, handing Canada its first point in World Cup history — a record that had read played six, lost six across the 1986 and 2022 tournaments. Larin needed just 121 seconds on the pitch: he collected a pass from Promise David, spun past a defender and drove a finish past goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj in front of 43,002 fans who had spent the night waiting for a reason to roar.

Bosnia had given them every reason to fear another blank. Injury fill-in Jovo Lukic headed in Ivan Basic's corner in the 21st minute, captain Sead Kolasinac flicking it on, for the 27-year-old's first international goal. Canada, missing the injured Alphonso Davies, looked nervy. Jonathan David — the country's all-time leading scorer — scuffed a glorious chance near the spot in the 17th minute, and the misses piled up until coach Jesse Marsch reached for the man he had, surprisingly, left out of his starting eleven.

There was history in the choice of scorer. Larin, 31, was born in Brampton, just northwest of the stadium, and is second on Canada's all-time list behind David with 31 goals. His last had come in 2024; many fans had written him off. He ran to the corner flag and stuck his fingers in his ears.

"Just to shut everyone up."

Cyle Larin, asked to explain his celebration, quoted by The Athletic

Marsch, who admitted he had told Larin he would not start despite a strong season on loan at second-tier English club Southampton, was unrepentant about the gamble and unhappy about the rest.

"I'm disappointed with the first half. I just felt we were tentative. We didn't play as aggressively as I would have liked."

Jesse Marsch, Canada head coach, speaking to reporters via Reuters

The numbers back his irritation and his relief in equal measure: Canada finished with 13 shots, four on target, and only 73% pass completion to Bosnia's 61%, according to ESPN. The hosts were sloppy for 45 minutes and ruthless enough in the last 15 to matter. Marsch said he could sense the visitors fading and told his players it was "time to put your foot on the jugular."

Canada's point arrived a day after the United States opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over Paraguay, and it reframes Group B in Canada's favor. The Athletic's model now gives Canada an 88% chance of reaching the round of 32; a win over Qatar in Vancouver on Thursday would all but seal it, sparing Marsch's side a nervy final match against group favorite Switzerland. Bosnia — a nation of about three million that knocked four-time champion Italy out in the European playoffs — heads west to face Switzerland in Los Angeles on June 18.

It was, in the end, the kind of night Canadian soccer has rarely had: Michael Bublé and Alanis Morissette on the pre-match microphone, Connor McDavid and Mike Myers in the stands, and a sea of red that ESPN said willed the team back into the game. The country that had never scored at home and never taken a point now has both, and the man who delivered them had spent the evening on the bench, certain his moment was coming. As he told The Athletic afterward, he had made too many sacrifices to doubt it.