The Canadian men's national football team will play its first match of the 2026 World Cup against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto on Friday at 20:00 BST.
The tournament begins amid local enthusiasm, though steep travel and hotel costs are affecting fans across Vancouver and Toronto.
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Canada enters its third World Cup appearance with a historical record of six losses, two goals scored, and 12 goals conceded across the 1986 and 2022 tournaments.
Despite past struggles and recent mixed friendly results, local expectations remain elevated for the current squad.
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Canadian soccer journalist Har Johal told BBC Sport that the team possesses an unprecedented level of talent playing in European leagues.
"Canada is often overlooked, we will be fine about that," Johal said.
"We will smile, be polite, and allow the countries down south take the headlines," he added.
The national team sits in a group alongside Switzerland, Qatar, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, who qualified after defeating Italy on penalties.
"The timing is fantastic, but it has been building for Canada - we have seen more players in Europe, the talent is there," Johal stated.
Local fans have expressed excitement, rallying behind the national squad as the opening fixture approaches.
"At Qatar, the expectations were high and they are high again this year," Johal observed.
"People are getting excited, it is slowly building. People are really behind Team Canada, it is ramping up every day," he reported.
