AFP: Bosnians in Toronto Enjoy Incredible Euphoria at the World Cup

(Patria) - The moment Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated Italy and secured its place at the 2026 World Cup, emotions in a Toronto mosque turned from tense to euphoric, said Anes Džumhur, program manager at the city's Bosnian Islamic Association, AFP reports.

For the small Bosnian community in Toronto, the victory on March 31 brought double elation: Not only did their team qualify, but their first match will be played just fifteen kilometres from the mosque.

"It was incredible," Džumhur told AFP in a spacious room above the mosque's prayer hall, decorated with books and Bosnian cultural items.

He joked that there are complaints within his community - men who pray together but disagree - but when Bosnia's victory was secured, those rivalries disappeared.

"That day, everyone was hugging. I even showed some of them a picture: 'Oh my God, look who you're hugging here.'"

"They Had Problems"

Few expected that at the first World Cup in Canada, the host team would play against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

For the large, well-established Italian community in Toronto, the 2026 World Cup seemed like a battle of loyalties. For decades, Italian Canadians have honked horns and celebrated in Toronto's streets after World Cup and European Championship successes.

For this World Cup, Canada's largest city was ready for a historic and controversial match. Bars in Toronto's Little Italy were packed for the March qualifiers, and when the Azzurri lost, the devastation was palpable.

"I was so excited thinking about watching Italy play here in Canada," Alessandro Aureli told Canadian Press after the match. "I'm going home to cry for the rest of the day."

But the sorrow for the Italian community opened space for the few thousand Bosnians in Toronto - an opportunity to affirm a shared identity that Džumhur admits has faded over the years.

People used to be "more committed to the community," he said. "These days, I feel it has diminished a bit," he added, expressing hope that the tournament will offer a rare chance for everyone to come together as Bosnians.

The Bosnian community in Toronto began organizing in the 1980s, but the conflict in the former Yugoslavia during the 1990s marked a turning point.

As refugees began arriving, institutions were established to welcome them, and the mosque became a central point of community life.

The former library of the mosque was turned into a youth activity room, and a large screen was set up for World Cup qualifiers.

As people crowded in for the match against Italy, Džumhur said he believed victory was possible.

"They had problems," he said of Italy. "But still, Italy is Italy... and yet we won."

'A Different Culture'

Mirza Durak, a Canadian born in Bosnia, travelled to Zenica for the match against Italy.

He is president of the Bosnian Cultural Association in Toronto and said that for his national team, "coming to Toronto, to our neighbourhood, is a dream come true."

He does not intend to miss this moment.

He secured tickets for the Friday match and organized a series of events to celebrate Bosnia and Herzegovina's presence in Toronto, including a pre-match party, a march to the stadium on match day, and a post-match party.

Thousands of Bosnians from across North America, and some from Europe, are gathering in the city, he said.

"We wanted to show Toronto a slightly different culture, the way European football fans usually do it," said Durak. "It will be really great for Canadians to see that."