- Co-hosts Canada and the United States are scheduled to commence their 2026 World Cup campaigns on Friday, following Mexico's successful 2-0 opening victory against South Africa.
- Canada will play their first match on home soil in Toronto against Bosnia and Herzegovina, with coach Jesse Marsch stating his team is ready for the responsibility and pressure of the tournament. The game kicks off at 8pm BST (3pm ET).
- The United States begins their World Cup journey in Los Angeles, facing Paraguay, a team that coach Mauricio Pochettino warned would be a "very tough" and aggressive opponent. The game kicks off at 2am BST (9pm ET).
- "I know very well the mentality, the aggressivity, the competitivity," Pochettino told reporters on Thursday. "Paraguay showed in qualification for this World Cup how tough it is to play against them and how well they performed.
- While Marsch said: "I came to Canada to be the coach because I liked these guys and I believed they could fit the way I wanted to play, but I came here to lead them in the World Cup — in the home World Cup. I wanted this responsibility."
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