The 2026 World Cup — Day 2

Day 2 sees another two group games as the 2026 World Cup gets off to a slow start.

It's the turn of the other two host countries to get their World Cup campaigns underway. First up, is Canada:

Canada v Bosnia-Herzegovina

Under Jesse Marsch, Canada have leaned heavily into their identity: high-pressing, transition-heavy, and uncomfortably quick. They will look to suffocatingly press Bosnia from the first whistle, feeding off what is bound to be a raucous, highly partisan crowd. Alphonso Davies remains the talismanic focal point, but keep an eye on Jonathan David’s sharp movement inside the box against a rigid Bosnian backline.

Bosnia and Herzegovina are no pushovers, but they can be vulnerable when forced onto the back foot early by energetic teams. They will look to rely on their physical presence and defensive structure to weather the initial storm, hoping to slow down the tempo and frustrate the co-hosts.

It will be noisy, it will be chaotic, but Canada's sheer athletic advantage in the wide areas should see them through. in their 'home' Toronto Stadium.

USA v Paraguay

The United States of America begin their tournament under the bright lights of Southern California. For Blues staying up late (or waking up incredibly early), this promises to be a fascinating tactical clash.

The Yanks enter the tournament with their most talented generation in history, but the question marks always hover around execution on the grandest stage. Operating primarily in a fluid 4-3-3, they want to control the possession and break lines through Christian Pulisic and standard-bearer Weston McKennie. Playing in Los Angeles virtually guarantees them an intensely supportive home atmosphere.

Paraguay will arrive with a game plan straight out of the classic South American gritty textbook: compact, heavily disciplined, and utterly ruthless on the counter-attack. They will look to disrupt the USA midfield rhythm, making the game as ugly as possible to exploit set-pieces.

Expect a tense, stop-start affair that might lack aesthetic brilliance but won't lack needle. USA should just have enough individual quality to break the deadlock, but perhaps not until the second half.

Friday 12 June 2026
20:00 Canada v Bosnia-Herzegovina (Group B) — BBC 1 
02:00 USA v Paraguay (Group D) — BBC 1 

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