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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.

This is one of the biggest mismatches on paper in the opening round of fixtures with 36 places between the sides in the FIFA rankings.

Switzerland usually do well in international tournaments and find themselves in a pretty straightforward forward group. I expect them to kick things off with a convincing win having scored 3+ goals in games against Jordan and Germany already this year.

Qatar have not won an international game since October, and finished bottom of their group in the 2022 World Cup without winning a game - conceding 2+ goals in all three of their group matches.

Scotland have enjoyed a pretty positive build up to the tournament with convincing wins over Curacao and Bolivia, putting four goals past both sides ahead of this opening match.

Haiti have shown in recent warm-up games that they can carry an attacking threat having netted against Peru and New Zealand in recent weeks, putting four past the latter which was a result that raised a few eyebrows.

Scotland scored 2+ goals in five of their six qualifying matches, this is pretty much a must win for Steve Clarke’s side if they want to get out of the group given that their remaining group matches are against Brazil and Morocco.

I expect Group C to be one of the higher scoring groups at the tournament, starting with an entertaining clash between Brazil and Morocco.

Brazil have seen 3+ goals in each of their last three matches ahead of the tournament, including putting six goals past Panama in a recent warm-up game. 

Carlo Ancelotti has spoken about giving his attacking players freedom, which should result in a Brazil side that have a pretty positive attitude in forward areas - but this also opens them up to being a bit vulnerable at the back.

Brazil have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last five matches, including clashes against Egypt, Panama and Tunisia which would suggest that there is a real defensive vulnerability that can be exploited by a Morocco side many are touting as dark horses.

Australia could surprise a few people at the World Cup, they’ve shown some real grit in their warm-up matches against Mexico and Switzerland, only narrowly losing to the host nation and holding an experienced Switzerland side to a 1-1 draw.

Their 10 qualifying matches produced 23 goals (2.3 per game) and they take on a Türkiye side who have real talent in forward areas and should be an exciting watch if they can all pull together. They’ve won each of their last four matches, seeing 2+ goals in each of their two warm-up games against Venezuela and North Macedonia.

Türkiye saw 29 goals across their six qualifying matches (4.83 per game), so they’ve already shown that they can be an entertaining watch and could even cover this goal line on their own.

Manzambi could easily be one of the breakout stars at the World Cup for Switzerland after enjoying a positive season with Freiburg, helping them reach the Europa League Final.

It looks like he’ll be trusted to operate in a more advanced role for Switzerland, having played as a striker in both of Switzerland’s warm-up games for the tournament. 

He registered 13 goal contributions for Freiburg during the 25/26 campaign and has already scored three goals on the international stage across just three caps.

Switzerland are very short to win here. I expect them to win by a few goals, which should give Manzambi plenty of chances to show his talent on this stage.

If the opening game is anything to go by, we’re going to see quite a few cards at this World Cup.

Switzerland aren’t likely to be challenged too much by Qatar, but one angle that could develop is the Swiss having to make tactical fouls to stop Qatar putting together counterattacks.

Freuler is a player I look at for cards pretty often; he’s generously priced to pick up a caution here and has collected five cautions across his 26 appearances for Bologna during the 25/26 campaign. 

Freuler will have to contend with Jassem Gaber, who won 12 fouls across his six starts during qualifying for Qatar (1.87 per 90), so he’s clearly someone who can trouble the midfielder.

Qatar’s defensive numbers do not look promising ahead of this encounter.

In five of their last nine qualifying matches, they conceded six or more shots on target, doing so notably in three of four encounters against Iran and Uzbekistan – the two other sides they faced that qualified for the finals. Switzerland are not short of an attacking threat, too.

They mustered seven or more shots on target in two of their last four qualifying games, both against Sweden – a side ranked considerably higher by FIFA than Qatar.

Breel Embolo represents the biggest threat to the Qatari goal, having been devastatingly accurate in qualifying, when 69.2% of his 13 shots found the target.

This translated to 1.67 shots on target per 90 minutes. Although he posted only 0.87 shots on target per 90 in Ligue 1 with Rennes, he finished the season in excellent form, having seven shots on target in 388 minutes (1.62 per 90).

This carried on in the pre-tournament friendly he played, with Embolo hitting the target three times against Jordan.

Qatar’s discipline was not a strong point in their qualifying games. Across their last 15 competitive matches, they have picked up 2+ cards on 13 occasions.

They triggered this figure in both their fourth round qualifiers and in eight of their 10 third-round games. The only figures that they did not were the blowout defeat (4-1) against Iran and the easy win (5-1) over North Korea.

A red card in their recent 1-0 friendly loss against Ireland highlights that this team is no soft touch. With Switzerland liable to be ball dominant (they had 50%+ possession in all their qualifiers), there will be ample opportunities for cards.

Goals have not been an issue for Switzerland in recent matches, scoring 2+ goals in six of their 10 fixtures so far this season.

But these games have come up against some impressive opponents, with the Swiss bagging three in a recent friendly loss to Germany as well as four in a qualifier against Sweden. Qatar’s qualification for the finals, meanwhile, was achieved despite a leaky defence.

They conceded 2+ goals in seven of their 12 qualifiers from the third round onwards. Against opponents who qualified for the finals (Iran and Uzbekistan), they conceded 2+ in three of four games as well as seven in just two away trips.

No Switzerland player who featured for more than 45 minutes of qualifying had a higher shot rate than Manzambi, who offered up 3.28 shots per 90.

He only started one of these fixtures but has been increasingly prominent in the thinking of manager Murat Yakin, starting both pre-tournament friendlies after an outstanding end to the season with Eintracht Frankfurt, finishing the campaign with 2.96 shots per 90 in the Bundesliga.

He had three or more shots in seven of his last 11 matches and two or more in 11 of his last 13. Often deployed as a deep midfielder at club level, he is being used in a more attacking manner by Switzerland.

No player featured more in Qatar’s successful qualifying campaign than Afif, so it is little surprise that he fared well when it came to shooting stats, offering 18 across all his matches.

Across his last 14 games for the national side, he has mustered at least one shot on 10 occasions, including both the latest friendly matches.

In two of the four he missed out, he was used away from his favoured roles, either in attack or as an offensive midfielder. He is forecast to lead the line in this game, giving him maximum opportunities to get efforts away.

Embolo is a handful of a striker for any defence he faces, underlined by the fact that he has averaged at least 2.1 fouls per 90 minutes in each of the last 10 league seasons.

That figure is echoed for the national team, with the Monaco hitman picking up 3.52 fouls per 90 in qualifying after winning 4.55 per 90 in the last edition of the Nations League.

He won at least two free kicks in the first five qualifiers before being replaced early against Kosovo, having won one free kick in what was effectively a dead rubber for the Swiss.

Given that Brazil won only two qualifiers away from home in nine attempts, the price for Morocco to take something from their opening game is a big one.

The Atlas Lions have only nine full senior international matches since the last World Cup, with their latest defeat coming back in January 2024 at AFCON.

They are on a 32-match undefeated streak in matches through 90 minutes, while they also won their previous meeting against Brazil shortly after the last World Cup.

Brazil saw 2+ cards in 13 of their 18 qualifying matches and ranked 4th in CONMEBOL for overall cards with 40 across their 18 games.

By contrast, Morocco’s opponents in qualifying were shown 3+ cards in six of their eight matches.

Referee Slavko Vincic has been appointed to officiate this game, with the Slovak referee not exactly known for going light on the cards: he has shown 109 in 26 games this season – 4.19 per game.

Real Madrid’s Brahim Diaz is the player that Morocco will most look to for attacking inspiration, having carried their challenge during AFCON earlier this year.

He had 10 shots on target in that competition, which was more than twice that of any other member of their World Cup squad.

He hit the target at the rate of 1.54 per 90 and had at least one shot on target in six of the seven fixtures he played in that tournament.

He had two shots on target in the recent friendly with Norway, having had one against Madagascar.

No Morocco player picked up more fouls than the Manchester United defender during their run to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, with Mazraoui on the end of 20 indiscretions from opponents.

This was a rate of 2.9 per 90 minutes. He finished the competition with a run of six successive games in which he had drawn at least two fouls, while he was fouled 3+ times in five of these games.

He will play left-back here, meaning Lucas Paqueta is a potential direct opponent, with the former West Ham man committing 2.7 fouls per 90 in qualifying.

After a tepid qualifying campaign, Brazil have been a whole lot more entertaining in their pre-tournament friendlies, suggesting that Carlo Ancelotti’s side could open up for the tournament proper.

Their last four internationals have produced 18 goals (4.5 per game), with each fixture yielding at least three goals. With Morocco’s five pre-competition warm-ups also all bringing at least 2 goals, this is a fixture that promises excitement.

When these sides last met in 2023, there were 3 goals as Morocco came out on top 2-1.

Morocco have been in strong scoring touch in the lead-up to the World Cup, having netted in each of the five pre-tournament friendly matches they have played.

These included a 1-1 draw against an Ecuador side that qualified ahead of Brazil in their CONMEBOL group. They have scored in 28 of their last 30 recognised FIFA internationals.

Brazil, meanwhile, have conceded 1+ goals in five successive games, plus 10 of their last 11 that have not been played at home.

Morocco averaged a healthy 5.0 shots on target per game in qualifying, mustering at least three efforts on their opponents’ goal in 88% of their matches.

This form has continued into their pre-tournament friendlies, with five shots on target against a strong Norway side after having nine against Madagascar a few days earlier.

Brazil’s defence has not exactly been robust either. They conceded 3.17 shots on target on average, and while this figure is inflated by two games in which they conceded 10, they conceded 3+ in four of their last six outings.

In a recent friendly with Panama, they gave up nine shots on target to their opponents.

Slovak referee Slavko Vincic is in charge of this fixture and is known to be a match official who officiates matches by going to his pocket often.

Across the 26 matches he has overseen this season, he has shown 109 cards at a rate of 4.19 per game. Brazil’s games in qualifying averaged 4.28 cards per game while Morocco’s were only slightly less busy for referees, with 4.00 cards per match.

The Selecao had 78% of their matches hit a minimum of three cards, while that figure rose to 88% with their North African opponents.

Raphinha was eclipsed by only four players when it came to shots on target in CONMEBOL qualifying, with the Barcelona winger mustering 16 efforts at a rate of 1.37 per 90 minutes.

He featured in 13 different matches across the campaign and mustered at least one shot on target in 10 of these. A high shot count has been a feature of his play all season.

He averages 4.24 shots per 90 with Barca, and that has translated into 1.57 shots on target.

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.