The wait is over – let the laurel leaf end up in the Bosnian herbarium: The Dragons begin their dance at the greatest football spectacle tonight against Canada!

(Patria) - The wait is over. They have overcome various challenges and paths to be here, at the gathering of the best.

Some received a ticket to the World Cup for free, others fought for it between sighs and shouts, through thorns, but with a sweet taste at the end. They come from different continents, with different visions, histories, and schools of football.

On one side is the host Les Rouges, on the other the rejuvenated and awakened Dragon. The only thing they have in common are expectations. At BMO Field stadium tonight at 9:00 PM, the national teams of Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina begin their journey to the top, with the same hopes and expectations.

Tonight is not just a match. Tonight is a meeting of two countries, two continents, and two completely different football stories.

For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is the second World Cup in history, after Brazil in 2014. Generations have changed, hopes have risen and faded, but the Dragons have finally found their way back among the elite.

The path to the World Cup was anything but easy.

In the qualifiers, we missed out on direct qualification in the very final stages, and then through the playoffs we had to eliminate giants. First, against Wales, we saved the situation with a goal from captain Edin Džeko in the 86th minute, and then in a spectacular playoff final, we eliminated four-time world champions Italy after penalties.

That moment caused scenes rarely seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina – thousands of people took to the streets of Sarajevo, Tuzla, Zenica, Mostar, and many other cities. The country, for one night, forgot reality and celebrated as if tomorrow did not exist.

Fans who do not recognize distance

Canada may formally have the home-field advantage, but Bosnia and Herzegovina never plays alone.

Thousands of fans have traveled across the Atlantic despite astronomical prices for plane tickets, accommodation, and tickets. Alongside them, there is also the large Bosnian-Herzegovinian diaspora in North America.

That is why tonight from the stands, the well-known is expected:

"The scent of lilies spreads across the field..."

And the feeling that the stadium, at least for ninety minutes, has become a part of Bosnia.

Experience vs. quality

Bosnia and Herzegovina arrives at the championship with a squad worth approximately 150 million euros. The backbone of our team consists of captain Edin Džeko, followed by Ermedin Demirović, Sead Kolašinac, Amar Dedić, and a new generation led by Esmir Bajraktarević and Kerim Alajbegović.

Canada, on the other hand, possesses one of the most talented generations in its history. They are led by Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David, players of the highest European level, along with a very fast and physically powerful team that will have the support of the home crowd. However, the Dragons will be without Haris Tabaković for this match, and Canada without Alphonso Davies.

Where can Bosnia look for a chance?

The key to the match could lie precisely in what brought Bosnia to the World Cup:

discipline and organization of Sergej Barbarez,

Džeko's experience in big matches,

solidity in the back line,

transition through Dedić and Demirović,

and the incredible energy this national team receives from its fans.

Canada will likely have more possession of the ball and try to use speed on the flanks, but the Dragons have already shown they know how to survive against favorites. Italy and Wales are the best proof.

More than football

For Canada, this is the opening of the championship in front of a home crowd.

For Bosnia and Herzegovina, this is something else.

This is a reward for years of waiting.

For the fans who traveled thousands of kilometers.

For the diaspora that never stopped living for the national team.

For the generation that grew up listening to stories about Lithuania 2013 and Brazil 2014.

For all those who believed that the Dragons would one day return.

Tonight, when Džeko leads Bosnia on the biggest stage for the last time, when thousands of flags wave in the stands of Toronto, Seattle, or Los Angeles, the result will be important.

But the very return among the best national teams in the world is already proof that this team has written one of the most beautiful sports stories of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Dragons are back at the World Cup. And when Bosnia dreams – no one knows where the limits are.

First round match of Group B

Canada - Bosnia and Herzegovina

BMO Field Stadium, starting at 9:00 PM

Referee: Facundo Tello Argentina