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Bosnia were the most aggressive European side during qualifying. They committed more fouls (17.7 per game) and collected more yellow cards (28 - 2.62 per game) than any other side, making them an ideal side to back for 2+ cards in their World Cup opener against Canada.

Bosnia picked up 2+ cards in nine of their 10 qualifying matches, with the exception of their win over San Marino. Remarkably, they committed 15+ fouls in 80% of these matches, suggesting that the referee for this game in Facundo Tello will have little choice but to produce a few cautions for Bosnia if they show the same levels of aggression.

Furthermore, Canada have managed to draw 2+ cards from their opponents in eight of their last 10 friendly matches. They don’t have any qualifying data for us to look at as a host nation, but this is a pretty standout record for friendly matches. It’s also a bonus as Bosnia will effectively be acting as the away side in this game with it being in Toronto, giving Canada a significant advantage.

Facundo Tello is quite a card happy referee too, he’s handed out 5+ cards in nine of his 14 appointments this season (64.3%), and has a career card average of 5.05 cautions per game. 

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Bosnia have not received a single card in their two pre-tournament friendly matches; they are an aggressive team out of possession that has picked up at least two cards in nine of their last 10 competitive matches.

They habitually produce a high foul count – they have hit 15 or above in 80% of these games – offering the match officials plenty of opportunities to card them.

With 28 cards in qualifying, Bosnia averaged 2.62 per game, posting the 4th highest rate of yellows among all UEFA sides. Canada have drawn at least two cards from their opponents in eight of their last 10 friendlies.

The battle between Tahirovic and Ismael Kone in the heart of the field will be important in the destiny of this match, and it promises to produce fireworks.

Kone has won four fouls in 135 minutes of friendly action leading into this encounter, while the Bosnian has constantly picked up big foul numbers on the international scene.

He has at least one foul in eight of his last 10 competitive international appearances but has committed at least two on six occasions. In qualifying, he committed 2.17 per 90.

With Ivan Sunjic potentially only on the bench, his role as an enforcer will be more pronounced.

Folarin Balogun stands out as the strongest contender to register a shot on target. The USA forward has found his scoring touch at international level, with four of his nine goals for his country arriving across his last nine appearances.

One of those strikes came against Senegal last month, a match in which Balogun hit the target three times. He also scored with one of his two shots on target when the USA faced Paraguay in a friendly last year. The 24-year-old also caught the eye at the Copa America two years ago, scoring twice across his opening two appearances of the tournament.

What’s more, Balogun heads into the World Cup in strong form at club level, having scored 19 goals in 43 appearances for Monaco last season while averaging 1.29 shots on target per game in Ligue 1.

Omar Alderete is one of Paraguay’s key players and should be able to offer a significant threat from set pieces against a USA side that have struggled from these situations under Pochettino.

This is actually a running trend with Pochettino’s sides - defending set pieces has always been a weak spot for him as a manager, something he’s admitted in the past, with his stints at Chelsea and Tottenham proving this. 

Paraguay may struggle to create chances from open play, especially now that Julio Enciso is set to miss the opening game of the tournament, but set pieces allow them to really put some pressure on this USA side. 

Omar Alderete is an obvious pick to benefit from these situations. He’s just enjoyed a brilliant season with Sunderland, notably managing 24 shots across his 32 starts for the Black Cats (0.77 per 90). He maintained an even better shot average across 34 starts the season prior (1.15 per 90), showing that this is a key strength of his game.

He took three shots across his three starts for Paraguay in the most recent Copa America, notably scoring a brilliant goal from outside the box against Brazil. Interestingly, all three of Alderete’s efforts came from outside of the box in that tournament - showing that he’s not afraid to take on the spectacular when he advances into forward areas.

Alderete managed 11 shots across his 14 starts for Paraguay during qualifying (0.82 per 90), so he’s got really consistent shot data for a centre back across his displays for club and country. He also scored two goals during this qualifying run, 28% of Paraguay’s goals during qualifying came from set pieces.

There’s clear value here, Alderete is as short as 1.57 with other major bookmakers to have a shot in this clash.

Canada are one of the host nations at this World Cup and start in front of their fans in Toronto, effectively making this a home game for Jesse Marsch's side.

Canada have not lost a game since early October, contesting eight games in this period. They're favourites to win the game, so we're getting a very generous price on them to lead at anytime. Canada have led at some point in both of their warm-up games for the World Cup against Uzbekistan and Ireland.

Back Canada to lead at anytime against Bosnia @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇

Jonathan David is a really important player for Canada and has scored 39 goals across his 77 caps for his country, which is an impressive record at international level.

He didn't quite get to show his quality at Juventus during the 25/26 season, but is clearly capable of scoring goals having netted 20+ goals in three consecutive seasons at Lille prior to making the move to Italy.

He's the shortest player in the market to have a shot on target so we're getting a great price with taking him at EVS to have a single shot on target.

You can back the top scorer in the Canada squad to have a shot on target @ 2.0 by clicking the link below 👇

Jesse Marsch’s Canada side are in a very interesting place ahead of this World Cup as one of the three host nations. That standing comes with quite a lot of pressure, with a lot of eyes being drawn to their first game against Bosnia.

Bosnia reached the World Cup in really dramatic fashion, beating Wales and then Italy on penalties to secure their spot after holding both sides to a 1-1 draw in normal time. Bosnia have seen 2+ goals in 10 of their last 11 international matches, only keeping two clean sheets in this period.

It’s clear that Bosnia are vulnerable, and while Canada didn’t have to qualify for this tournament - some of their displays in the warm up games are a bit concerning. They failed to keep clean sheets against the likes of Ireland and Iceland, two sides who won’t even feature at the World Cup, and there isn’t much technical quality in the side if you take out Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David.

You’ll have to be selective when you use BTTS at this tournament as I don’t expect many of the games to be high scoring, but this is one example where I do think both sides can find the back of the net.

USA are another of the host nations and this game will attract plenty of attention as their opener but it’s an awkward task for Pochettino’s side. This group is wide open, with Turkiye and Australia making up the other sides, so an early slip up for the US could lead to a spiral.

Recent games for Pochettino’s side have unearthed a defensive vulnerability. They’ve conceded in each of their last five games, conceding 2+ goals in four of these matches and even conceded five to Belgium a few months ago.

It’s clear that the backline is vulnerable, which is something that can be exploited by a Paraguay side who have scored in each of their last five matches in the build up to this tournament - including games against Mexico, Morocco and the USA.

That recent meeting between these sides took place towards the end of 2025, and saw both sides get on the scoresheet inside just 10 minutes. Paraguay themselves don’t look too solid at the back, their only two clean sheets across their last eight matches have come against sides that won’t feature at the World Cup.

Back the USA to earn a minimum of four corners against Paraguay on Saturday. Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be expected to take a front-footed approach in front of an expectant home crowd, but they may need to show patience against a Paraguay side likely to sit deep and frustrate. That should afford the Stars and Stripes ample opportunity to register at least four corners.

Moreover, the co-hosts racked up a whopping 10 corners against Germany in a friendly last weekend. It is also worth noting that Pochettino’s men have cleared the over 3.5 corner line in friendlies against the likes of Senegal, Belgium and Uruguay since the back end of last year. On top of that, the USA faced Paraguay in a friendly last November and forced five corner kicks.

Paraguay look well placed to pick up at least a couple of cards against the USA on Saturday. Gustavo Alfaro’s side averaged 2.12 cards per game during their World Cup qualifying campaign. A closer look shows the White and Red racked up multiple bookings in three of their final five qualifiers, including four in their clash away at Colombia.

The case for siding with this selection is strengthened further by the fact that Paraguay picked up two yellow cards in a 2-1 defeat to the USA in a friendly late last year.

It is also worth noting that Germany collected three cautions in last weekend’s 2-1 friendly win over the USA.

Folarin Balogun stands out as the strongest contender to register a shot on target. The USA forward has found his scoring touch at international level, with four of his nine goals for his country arriving across his last nine appearances.

One of those strikes came against Senegal last month, a match in which Balogun hit the target three times. He also scored with one of his two shots on target when the USA faced Paraguay in a friendly last year. The 24-year-old also caught the eye at the Copa America two years ago, scoring twice across his opening two appearances of the tournament.

What’s more, Balogun heads into the World Cup in strong form at club level, having scored 19 goals in 43 appearances for Monaco last season while averaging 1.29 shots on target per game in Ligue 1.

Folarin Balogun is worth backing to commit at least one foul. The USA forward leads the line with plenty of physicality and an aggressive press, which often sees him fall foul of the referee. That is reflected in the fact that across his four outings for the USA in 2026, Balogun has averaged 1.28 fouls per game, committing at least one in each of his last three appearances.

Balogun was also a regular offender for Monaco in Ligue 1 last season, averaging 1.81 fouls per 90, while he was also penalised in six of his final nine appearances in last season’s Champions League.

Paraguay’s expected centre back pairing of Gustavo Gomez and Omar Alderete were both drawing averages of 0.60 fouls per game during World Cup qualifying.

Look to Miguel Almiron to commit at least one foul on Saturday. The Paraguay playmaker was a relatively frequent fouler during World Cup qualifying, averaging 0.91 per game across the campaign.

That tendency was also evident at the Copa America a couple of years ago, where Almiron was penalised in all three of his appearances, including twice against Colombia. There is further encouragement from the fact that the 32-year-old has committed a foul in three of his six MLS starts this season.

Typically deployed on the left side of Paraguay's attack, Almiron is likely to spend plenty of time up against Sergino Dest, who was fouled twice when the two nations met in a friendly last year.

Bosnia are a side that consistently get on the scoresheet, netting at least one goal in 14 of their last 15 international matches.

The 0-0 draw against North Macedonia ended a run of 13-straight games in which they had scored in, yet they still managed 16 shots in an encouraging offensive display.

Canada have conceded in their last two against European opposition (2 v Iceland and 1 v Ireland).

They also conceded in two of their four Gold Cup matches last summer, despite playing opponents significantly weaker than the Bosnia side they will come up against in Toronto.

Don’t be fooled by the fact that Bosnia have not received a single card in their two pre-tournament friendly matches; they are an aggressive team out of possession that has picked up at least two cards in nine of their last 10 competitive matches.

They habitually produce a high foul count – they have hit 15 or above in 80% of these games – offering the match officials plenty of opportunities to card them.

With 28 cards in qualifying, Bosnia averaged 2.62 per game, posting the 4th highest rate of yellows among all UEFA sides. Canada have drawn at least two cards from their opponents in eight of their last 10 friendlies.

The battle between Tahirovic and Ismael Kone in the heart of the field will be important in the destiny of this match, and it promises to produce fireworks.

Kone has won four fouls in 135 minutes of friendly action leading into this encounter, while the Bosnian has constantly picked up big foul numbers on the international scene.

He has at least one foul in eight of his last 10 competitive international appearances but has committed at least two on six occasions. In qualifying, he committed 2.17 per 90.

With Ivan Sunjic potentially only on the bench, his role as an enforcer will be more pronounced.

Hull City’s Liam Millar will be an important attacking outlet for Canada, with his direct style of play important to their chances.

In the Championship, he earned one or more fouls in six of his last seven matches with the Tigers, except the playoff final when Middlesbrough committed only two total fouls. Bosnia will not be so standoffish.

They led European qualifying with 177 fouls – 21 more than any other nation – or 16.5 a game.

This will make a ball carrier like Millar, who has led Canada in dribbles in each of their two pre-tournament friendlies, a clear target.

The 23-year-old is a player who regularly draws a significant number of fouls, earning 1.78 per 90 in Serie A this season with a midtable side.

In a team that expects to be ball-dominant, he is likely to be a magnet for fouls. He has picked up at least two in two of his last three international matches, and against a Bosnia side that is aggressive out of possession, he is likely to find himself a target in this match.

Given he has started the last nine Canada friendlies, he is a key figure in Jesse Marsch’s plans.

Potentially goes up against Ivan Sunjic and Benjamin Tahirovic, who were Bosnia’s leading foul makers in qualifying with 24 and 18, respectively.

Diego Gomez hit double figures for yellow cards this season, accumulating ten bookings from his 37 appearances across all competitions for Brighton. He showed his versatility under Fabian Hurzeler this campaign, featuring on both wings, but Gomez is primarily a central midfielder, and that is where he is likely to feature for Paraguay.

With his national side not short of options going forward, Gomez will shoulder a greater defensive responsibility - he had an average of 1.59 fouls per 90 during their qualifying matches, which translated to two yellows and a red in 13 appearances. 

Gomez is a player who tends to press aggressively, looking to win the ball back high up the pitch. He has a commendable worth-rate, and he isn’t afraid to fly into challenges. In fact, Gomez also averaged 3.88 tackles per game for Paraguay during their qualifiers, which highlights just how willing he is to duel.

Antonee Robinson had a tough domestic season for Fulham, having to deal with persistent injury setbacks, but he looks back to full fitness and is expected to play a big role under Mauricio Pochettino at the World Cup.

USA are likely to be very front-footed on home soil here, led by the former Spurs and Chelsea manager, who typically goes with attack-minded tactics. Robinson should be tasked with getting up and down that left flank regularly, although that can sometimes mean he is caught out of position when USA turn the ball over. 

Paraguay are not short of talent in the final third, with Miguel Almiron, Julio Enciso and Ramon Sosa. The latter is expected to match up against Robinson on the flank, and he is averaging 1.97 fouls drawn per 90 in the Brazilian Serie A this season. The Palmeiras winger likes to drive at his marker and be aggressive, making this a tough task on paper for Robinson.

Bosnia are expected to deploy a strike partnership at the World Cup, with Ermedin Demirovic partnering the experienced Edin Dzeko in the final third. Demirovic is likely to act as the battering ram, looking to utilise his physicality and create space for Dzeko. The Stuttgart man will be the target from long balls forward, as Bosnia are likely to play quite direct and route one football - Demirovic should have plenty of aerial duels to contest. 

The 28-year-old picked up seven yellow cards in 38 appearances across all competitions for his domestic side this season, but he has usually raised his intensity when playing for Bosnia. Demirovic was shown a yellow card in the playoff semi-final against Wales, and he had an average of 2.19 fouls per 90 during the World Cup qualifiers. In the Nations League just before that, Demirovic averaged 2.78 fouls per 90, and he was booked in three of his five appearances.

Richie Laryea looks set for a difficult encounter against Bosnia for Canada’s opening World Cup fixture, as he will be directly up against Esmir Bajraktarevic. The 21-year-old currently plays for PSV, and he is a very technical player who often looks to beat his man. Amar Dedic is another right-sided player for Bosnia - the Benfica man looks set for a massive role at the World Cup, and he often looks to maraude forward and create overlapping runs. 

Laryea is likely to be overloaded on the flank at times, which makes this card price stand out. The fullback has picked up two yellow cards from nine appearances in the MLS this term, which is nothing to write home about, but this will be a step up from the opponent he is used to facing. Laryea is the type of player who can be drawn into a cynical challenge to stop the counter, which bodes well for this selection.

Both Bosnia and Canada are sides that habitually have a high card count, and this threat is likely to be magnified by referee Facundo Tello.

The Argentine has shown at least five cards in nine of the 14 games he has officiated this season – a strike rate of 64.3%.

Canada, meanwhile, have seen three or more cards in six of their last 10 friendly matches, and will be even more aggressive given the adrenaline will be pumping in this game.

The Bosnians have seen at least three cards in four of their last five competitive games. This will not be a game for shrinking violets.

Although Bosnia’s recent matches have been low-scoring, they have tended strongly towards both teams finding the net.

Of their last seven internationals, six have ended with both teams scoring. Indeed, 1-1 draws have been a speciality in recent outings, with four of their last five finishing in that scoreline.

Canada’s recent friendly matches against UEFA opponents have also tended the same way.

They drew 1-1 with Ireland last week and fought back to draw 2-2 with Iceland at home in March, having been a couple down.

Over the course of their five international friendlies in 2026, Canada have consistently racked up enormous numbers of corners.

They are averaging 9.6 per match, never dipping below seven while topping out at 12 on 2 occasions. Expect them to take an aggressive, front-footed approach to their opening match, seeking to gain early momentum in the competition.

With an offensive style that regularly sees high corner counts, this desire to dominate territory should see them manufacture these situations often.

When it came to last season’s Gold Cup, Villarreal winger Tajon Buchanan led Canada in goals (3) but also shots on target (3), joint with strikers Jonathan David and Tani Oluwaseyi.

He has started each of the last two friendlies and has managed a shot on target in each. In his Copa America outing, the biggest competition of his international career, he posted 0.91 shots on target per 90, but his importance to the side has grown since then.

Oluwaseyi is a likely substitute for him if he is replaced, offering some insurance in this market.