Cyle Larin makes World Cup historical past with minutes to go as Canada earns first level
Cyle Larin scored a deflected equaliser two minutes after coming off the bench to help co-hosts Canada claim a historic 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina – their first ever World Cup point
Canada’s Cyle Larin (9) celebrates after scoring his sides first goal of the game with Promise David (24) in the second half of the World Cup Group B soccer match between Canada and Bosnia, Friday, June 12, 2026, in Toronto. ( (AP Photo/Sam Balkansky)
Substitute Cyle Larin played a pivotal role in helping co-hosts Canada secure their first-ever World Cup point, as his deflected strike in the 78th minute salvaged a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto.
Jovo Lukic looked set to dampen the spirits of Jesse Marsch’s side when he found the net in the 21st minute, before former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac made an extraordinary clearance in the second half to maintain Bosnia’s slender lead.
However, Canada refused to be beaten and just two minutes after Marsch introduced Larin, the Southampton forward fired home to trigger jubilant celebrations, including from Wrexham co-owner Ryan Reynolds. This secured a historic first point for the nation after seven World Cup matches.
Following a pre-match ceremony in Canada featuring Michael Buble, the focus shifted to the football. The co-hosts had a golden opportunity to score in the 17th minute, but Jonathan David shot straight at Nikola Vasilj from 12 yards out.
This miss was punished four minutes later when Bosnia, with Edin Dzeko starting on the bench, took the lead. Ivan Basic’s corner was flicked on by Kolasinac, allowing Lukic to powerfully head home from close range.
Marsch saw his Canadian side respond positively but fail to capitalise on several set-piece opportunities. Derek Cornelius’ off-target header before half-time meant they went into the break trailing.
The relentless pace of Canada carried on after the break and following Tani Oluwaseyi’s near miss as he almost reached a ball over the top ahead of Vasilj, a flowing attack set up Richie Laryea, but Kolasinac delivered a stunning goal-line clearance that struck the crossbar.
Ermedin Demirovic wasted a golden chance shortly afterwards for Bosnia before Nikola Katic cleared Oluwaseyi’s goal-bound attempt with a header.
Larin was introduced with 14 minutes remaining and Canada’s number nine wrote his name into the country’s history books in the 78th minute when he gathered Promise David’s flick-on before firing home via a deflection to secure a momentous point.
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