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On the field, this will be Canada's third appearance at the men's World Cup finals, following those of 1986 and 2022. Their record is not exactly exemplary – six games, six losses, two goals scored and 12 conceded.

They were backed as potential dark horses at Qatar 2022 following an impressive qualification campaign, but they were outclassed in a tough group featuring Belgium, Croatia and Morocco – the latter two reached the semi-finals.

But four years on, more top-level international experience under their belts and the booster of a home crowd, Canadian football journalist Har Johal says there is a growing expectation of Canada being ones to watch.

"The timing is fantastic, but it has been building for Canada - we have seen more players in Europe, the talent is there," she said. "At Qatar, the expectations were high and they are high again this year.

"People are getting excited, it is slowly building. People are really behind Team Canada, it is ramping up every day.

"This is a great generation, the best Canadian team we have ever had."

Canada

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Canada boss Jesse Marsch on his message to the players before their first match: "The message is focussing on what the game needs to look like against Bosnia and making sure that we represent exactly what we want to be and how we want to play.

"There was not really a need for big mental and psychological messages. We are all aware of the World Cup, we're all aware of it being at home. We are all excited, that's the thing. When the game gets closer, different personalities have different ways of handling what the moment is like.

"The security the group has in each other and in the understanding of who we are and how we play, that we have built for two years. They've built for more than that. They're equipped with more since their experience from Qatar. They're playing at bigger clubs and have higher expectations every week."

So can we expect similar scenes in Toronto and Los Angeles later?

Well, Canada manager Jesse Marsch says his players are all "excited" before they make their World Cup bow, with kick-off against Bosnia-Herzegovina now just over eight hours away...

John Murray
BBC football correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live at the Azteca Stadium

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It’s been such a memorable experience [in the Azteca], we had to set out at the crack of dawn this morning to get here, because roads were being closed, with protests being planned etc. But it was really worth it, because 80,000 attendance inside the Azteca, it felt like they all came at half past seven in the morning, I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that, outside a football stadium before half past seven in the morning, there were thousands and thousands of people, the atmosphere was amazing, sombreros all over the place.

We saw senoritas dressed in their traditional dresses. Just the mood on the streets was so upbeat and I did fear about what the atmosphere might be like, because there’s so many people here, ordinary people were priced out of this, but we did have a stadium almost full of Mexico fans, replica shirts by the thousands and they created the atmosphere, it was proper atmosphere inside the stadium.

No wonder the Mexico supporters were happy yesterday - both inside and outside the Azteca.

BBC Radio 5 Live commentator John Murray can attest to that...

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So what might the three host nations need from their three group games to qualify?

A total of 32 teams, of the 48 competing countries, will go through to the knockout stages.

The top two teams in each group will automatically progress, while the best eight third-placed finishers will also qualify.

It is possible that three points may be enough to advance, with goal difference set to be a crucial factor, meaning Mexico may have already done enough, following their opening win over South Africa.

Here is the likelihood that each of the hosts will make it through the group stage, according to Opta:

• Mexico - 98.44%
• Canada - 81.95 %
• United States - 78.84%

Mexico already have three points as they bid to make it out of Group A.

Can co-hosts Canada and USA also open with a win?

They are both in action in the next two games of World Cup 2026.

Here's a look at their groups:

• Group A - Mexico, South Korea, Czech Republic, South Africa
• Group B - Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar, Switzerland
• Group D - USA, Paraguay, Australia, Turkey

Rick Edwards
Presenter on Football Daily

I do wonder if it is all going to spark into life, in LA itself, at the opening game for the US, which is at the Los Angeles Stadium tonight.

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That could all change, of course, should the USA team win some matches...

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There were wild celebrations throughout New York City, some fans standing on their cars on the streets of Manhattan, while thousands of miles away in Santa Monica roars could be heard from bars that lined the beach.

But this wasn't for a World Cup game. This was for the New York Knicks as they staged a stunning comeback on Wednesday - the greatest in NBA Finals history - to beat the San Antonio Spurs.

It served as a reminder of what global football's most prestigious tournament is up against in the USA as the country's national team prepares to kick off against Paraguay (Saturday, 02:00 BST).

Football - or soccer - does not hold the same level of love as sports such as basketball and American football in the USA and a recent poll has suggested half of Americans surveyed do not care about the tournament.

After a build-up dogged by political issues and expensive tickets, just how excited are people in the country about it?

BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Rick Edwards and comedian Lloyd Griffith are co-hosting the Football Daily podcast from Los Angeles throughout the World Cup.

They have both been struck by the low-key atmosphere in LA, in comparison to their experiences at previous tournaments.

"You have to say it's not football mad [in Los Angeles]," said Rick. "It's very interesting turning up to LAX having been to tournaments before. You are normally absolutely bombarded with imagery that says you are at a World Cup - everyone is talking about it and it's fizzing. It is not like that here, yet."

"The fans are doing the heavy lifting here," added Lloyd. "When I landed at LAX the only way that you really knew that there was a tournament going on was the fans wearing the jerseys or the training tops of the countries that they were there to go and watch.

"Again, same thing, we had a little walk down Santa Monica Boulevard and on to the beach and there's no real branding to say 'we are a host city'. When we were in Germany [for Euro 2024] you just couldn't move for branding, same with Russia [for the 2018 World Cup]. There doesn't seem to be really anything that tells you that the World Cup is on."

So it sounds like the conditions will be perfect for football in Los Angeles, but, as Football Daily presenters Rick Edwards and Lloyd Griffith are finding, World Cup fever on the west coast has not yet taken hold...

Simon King
Lead weather presenter, BBC Weather

With all the talk of heat and bad weather for this World Cup, the weather for Friday’s matches is actually looking pretty ideal.

For USA v Paraguay there’ll be lots of sunshine in Los Angeles where the temperature will come down to a pleasant 24C by the 18:00 (02:00 BST) local time kick-off.

Toronto will be hotter, especially around the 15:00 local (20:00 BST) kick-off time for Canada v Bosnia where the temperature will be around 28C.

There’ll be a lot of sunshine and it’ll probably feel more like 31C.

But, the crucial Wet Bulb Global Temperature Fifa is using to assess heat impacts on the body will be well within safe limits.

Colombian pop star Shakira got the party started before Mexico's opening win, but the entertainment does not end there.

Canadian singer-songwriters Michael Buble and Alanis Morissette will headline the opening ceremony at BMO Field in Toronto before Canada take on Bosnia-Herzegovina tonight (Friday, 12 June).

While the game kicks off at 20:00 BST, BBC's coverage gets going on BBC 1 and iPlayer, as well as the BBC Sport website and app, from 19:00 BST.

After a brief pause, the BBC's World Cup coverage returns at 01:30 BST (Saturday, 13 June) for the show before the USA's opening game against Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Pop star Katy Perry and rapper Future will perform before that match, which kicks off at 02:00 BST.

Shakira will return, along with Madonna and K-pop boyband BTS, for the Super Bowl-style half-time show at the World Cup final on 19 July.

Image source, Getty Images

Mexico put on a great show at the Azteca Stadium to kick off this World Cup.

Next up will be the turn of co-hosts Canada and the United States to wow the crowds in Toronto and Los Angeles, where there will be two more "opening ceremonies".

Canada are first up, kicking off their Group B campaign against Bosnia-Herzegovina at 20:00 BST (Friday, 12 June), before the US face Paraguay in their Group D opener from 02:00 BST (Saturday, 13 June).

Before we start looking forward, a bit of housekeeping...

Mexico and South Korea are joint top of Group A following their wins in the opening two games of the 2026 World Cup.

Remember, the top two in each group go through to the knockout stages automatically, the best eight of the 12 third-placed finishers will also progress.

Thanks for all of your questions over the past 90 minutes, but that's all from BBC Sport's football tactics correspondent Umir Irfan.

We're going to alter our route now and move in the direction of the next two games to come at the World Cup.

Canada v Bosnia-Herzegovina (20:00 BST) in Toronto

USA v Paraguay (02:00) in Los Angeles

Umir Irfan
Football tactics correspondent

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Toby, Exeter: If England go out in the quarters with the attack misfiring, does leaving Phil Foden AND Cole Palmer at home become the defining mistake of Thomas Tuchel's reign - or is he right that you can't fit that many number 10s in one squad?

I think Tuchel is banking on a single tactical approach and making that the best version it can be – which is how recent winners have won the tournament too such as France, Argentina, and Spain.

Tuchel's side looks to get the best out of Kane dropping deep so runners from midfield are key. Palmer is less of a runner in behind and more of a creative 10 so fits into the plan less easily. Foden, as a goal-scoring attacking midfielder, could have done this role - but on-form Bellingham or Rodgers make sense. Ultimately you don't need four players competing for the same role.

Tuchel also wants his wingers to be direct, pacey dribblers and great one against one to push teams back. Palmer and Foden are different in this way to Gordon, Madueke, Rashford and Saka so again don't fit his general system.

It's all logical. Knockout football is unpredictable but the system in theory makes sense and he's picked players that fit it best. The rest of the squad give him game-specific solutions as substitutes.

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George, Colchester: Hi Umir, will all of the 'underdog' nations go for a back five? Or will someone be bold and try a more offensive approach?

A football analyst I'm fond of and friends with, Roger Bonet, tallied the defensive shapes teams use closer to their own goal. It goes as follows:

4-4-2 (24 teams) ➡️ 50%

5-4-1 (9 teams) ➡️ 19%

4-1-4-1 (6 teams) ➡️ 12.5%

4-2-3-1 (6 teams) ➡️ 12.5%

5-3-2 (3 teams) ➡️ 6%

This is data from pre-World Cup based on qualifying games but only a quarter of the teams at the tournament consistently used a back five. Under pressure we may see back four teams move to a back five but we are increasingly seeing underdogs attempt to be aggressive when defending. It didn't work for them but South Africa looked to press high (from a back five). It did work for Mexico (who pressed high from a back four).

Sitting gives big teams the game they want - closer to the opposition's goal with 90 minutes to score. Pressing, although risky, gives some teams a chance to create chaos and win the ball high.