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After Mexico got the ball rolling as World Cup co-hosts on Thursday, it’s the turn of Canada and the USA to start their respective campaigns on home soil.
Canada take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in what will be the first men’s World Cup match ever played in The Great White North and Jesse Marsch’s side are under pressure to start with three points in a competitive-looking group.
Then the USA face Paraguay in Los Angeles. Nobody really knows what to expect of Mauricio Pochettino’s team at this World Cup, but Friday’s match will set the tone for the tournament ahead, positively or negatively.
Here is your complete guide on how to watch Friday’s World Cup games, including kick-off times, broadcast networks, and online streaming options.
Complete guide to all the players
A visual guide to every stadium
Standings
Golden Boot leaders
Time (ET): 3pm
Stadium: Toronto Stadium
United States: FOX / Telemundo (Stream on Fubo)
Canada: CTV / TSN (Stream)
United Kingdom: BBC / ITV (Stream)
Australia: SBS (Stream)
Canada’s preparations for their World Cup opener have been hit hard by injury concerns with Alphonso Davies not expected to feature and Moïse Bombito a doubt. Both players are crucial to Marsch’s set-up, so winning without them will be difficult.
Both sides are on eight-game unbeaten runs with Canada undefeated in their last six meetings with European opponents. Bosnia and Herzegovina, meanwhile, may still be riding the wave of their momentous playoff win over Italy to make the World Cup for only the second time in their history as an independent nation.
This is a match that could swing either way and could be a high-energy encounter such is the transition-heavy approach of both teams.
Player to watch: Jonathan David, Canada – While Davies may be Canada’s best player, David could be their most important with the way he links up play in the final third, doing his best Harry Kane impression in deep areas and offering a goal threat inside the box.
Canada team guide
Bosnia and Herzegovina team guide
Jesse Marsch says he had to ‘beg’ US players to sing anthem as he talks up Canada’s pride
Canadian soccer, finally on stable ground, tightens in anticipation of a historic World Cup
Time (ET): 9pm
Stadium: Los Angeles Stadium
United States: FOX / Telemundo (Stream on Fubo)
Canada: TSN (Stream)
United Kingdom: BBC / ITV (Stream)
Australia: SBS (Stream)
It would be easy to bill Friday’s match at SoFi Stadium as the culmination of Pochettino’s near two-year spell in charge of the US, but the process that has led to this point can be traced back much further back than that.
Indeed, the 2026 World Cup was spoken about as long ago as the USA’s failure to qualify for the 2018 tournament. This was the end point for a group of young players widely billed as the USA’s golden generation.
Now that the moment is here, it’s unclear if the USMNT will rise to the occasion. The likes of Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams and Chris Richards have the talent to perform, yet it’s impossible to ignore a certain nervousness ahead of the tournament. A USA win over Paraguay, however, would completely change the atmosphere.
Player to watch: Weston McKennie, USA – Fresh from the best season of his career, McKennie will be an important figure for the US in their efforts to turn possession phases into attacking opportunities.
USA team guide
Paraguay team guide
The United States enter a charged World Cup asking: what is enough?
Pochettino preaches relaxation as USMNT’s 2026 World Cup debut looms
Some streaming links in this article were provided by the Guardian’s advertising partner, FuboTV.
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