Ex-Leeds United boss makes World Cup history but early chance handed to Elland Road favourite
A former Leeds United head coach kicked off his 2026 World Cup campaign overnight.
Former Leeds United boss Jesse Marsch led Canada to their first ever World Cup point overnight following a 1-1 draw with Bosnia & Herzegovina.
Marsch and his Canada side kicked off their 2026 World Cup group stage campaign at the Toronto Stadium, coming from behind to avoid early defeat. They went a goal down midway through the first-half through Jovo Lukic but levelled when substitute Cyle Larin lashed home with his first touch.
Canada’s previous two appearances in the tournament - at Qatar in 2022 and Mexico in 1986 - both ended with three defeats from three, making this their first ever result. Although feelings were mixed after full-time, with this a game the home nation would have been looking to win.
"We felt like we had them,” Marsch said. “You know, like we were starting to push the game, the subs came on and made a big difference. We could see that they were fading.
“I'm disappointed with the first half. I felt we were tentative - we didn't play as aggressively as I would have liked. We have got to find a way when we want to play as intensely and be hard to play against that we actually do it. We talked about it afterwards.
"Second half, the moment we stepped on the pitch, it was different. I told them we have got to learn these lessons, and we have got to learn from them quickly. We still have everything in hand, and that's a big point for us to keep ourselves in the group. We have to make sure the next performance is a reflection and learning point from what we learnt."
Opportunity for Leeds United star’s nation
The result leaves Canada and Bosnia joint-top of Group B, with both still in a strong position to qualify for the knockout rounds. It also provides an early opportunity for one current Leeds player’s nation to get out in front of the pack.
The second Group B game takes place this evening when Switzerland face Qatar at the Levi’s Stadium in California this evening. That game could see Elland Road talisman Noah Okafor get his first minutes of the 2026 World Cup with the former nation.
Okafor made his first international appearance in over 18 months last weekend, coming off the bench for 12 minutes as Switzerland drew a World Cup warm-up friendly 1-1 against Australia. The winger had been in exile after a fallout with head coach Murat Yakin which has now been resolved.
Okafor will hope to fare better than his Leeds teammate, Brenden Aaronson, who was given a watching brief overnight as the USA thumped Paraguay 4-1 in their opening game. The American was left on the bench by head coach Mauricio Pochettino who looked elsewhere when making four attacking changes.