Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Two of the three hosts of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the US and Canada, will begin the World Cup campaign on Saturday.
Canada will take on the European side, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at 12:45 am (Nepal time) at the Toronto Stadium, while the US will meet their South American opponent, Paraguay, in Los Angeles at 6:45 am.
Hosts Mexico opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over South Africa in the tournament opener early Friday morning.
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina (Toronto)
Canada are currently enjoying what many consider a golden generation. Under coach Jesse Marsch, the hosts are aiming to make history on home soil.
Bosnia and Herzegovina secured their World Cup berth in a dramatic fashion by defeating Italy in the playoff final. They are also expected to enjoy strong support in Toronto, thanks to a sizeable Bosnian diaspora in North America.
However, Bosnia have struggled for goals in recent internationals. In pre-World Cup friendlies, they managed only one goal each against North Macedonia and Panama. The team remains heavily reliant on veteran captain and centre-back Edin Džeko. Midfielders Kerim Alajbegović, Esmir Bajraktarević and Benjamin Tahirović are among the players to watch.
Canada, meanwhile, boast attacking talents such as Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Tajon Buchanan. The midfield partnership of Buchanan and Los Angeles FC’s Stephen Eustáquio will be crucial for the hosts. Although concerns remain over the fitness of star left-back Alphonso Davies, Canada are widely viewed as favourites to progress from the group stage.
Canada drew with Ireland before defeating Uzbekistan in their warm-up matches. While they are not among the tournament’s elite teams, the hosts have shown a knack for producing late winners at home.
United States vs Paraguay (Los Angeles)
Paraguay reached the quarter-finals of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa but failed to qualify for the next three editions. Despite returning to football’s biggest stage after a 16-year absence, confidence remains high within the squad.
For the United States, coached by Mauricio Pochettino, the first challenge will be advancing from the group stage. Pochettino’s side has produced mixed results in recent months. They suffered friendly defeats to Belgium and Portugal before losing to Germany in their final World Cup warm-up. Last year, however, they beat Paraguay 2-1 and Uruguay 5-1.
Paraguay defeated Greece 1-0 in March but lost 2-1 to a strong Morocco side. They then concluded their World Cup preparations with a 4-0 home victory over Nicaragua. The win came at a cost, however, as star forward Julio Enciso suffered a foot injury and is expected to miss at least Paraguay’s opening two matches.
Enciso is Paraguay’s primary goal threat, meaning greater responsibility will fall on experienced captain Miguel Almirón. Midfielder Damián Bobadilla and striker Antonio Sanabria will also be expected to step up.
Defensively, Paraguay will rely on Omar Alderete, but the United States possess several attacking options capable of causing problems. Christian Pulisic, despite a difficult end to the season with AC Milan, is expected to be fully fit. Folarin Balogun continues to establish himself as a leading striker, while Malik Tillman adds further creativity and firepower to the American attack.
