Edin Džeko has by far the biggest support at the World Cup: A lot has changed since Brazil...

(Patria) - Fans of Bosnia and Herzegovina around the world are counting down the hours until the first World Cup match between BiH and Canada in Toronto on Friday at 9 PM Central European Time.

The families of our footballers have also arrived in Toronto, with captain Edin Džeko receiving the most support. Members of his family arrived with a group of fans from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Edin will once again be cheered on by his mother Belma and father Midhat, sister Merima with her husband and children, and his wife Amra with their children. Given that this is the second World Cup our captain is participating in, after a 12-year break, much has changed in that period. Edin and Amra are parents to five children, and this will be the first time their children see their father at a world football showcase.

The captain also told FIFA that qualifying for the World Cup is more than a sporting achievement - it is a chance to present the homeland to the world in a positive light.

"In the past 20 years, I have played many such big matches, but this was something truly unique. We knew we had a good opportunity, in front of our fans, to qualify for the World Cup. It is incredible, and I believe we have at least partially succeeded in uniting Bosnia and Herzegovina with this success," he said.

He spoke about the wounds of war, saying that is an additional reason why Bosnia and Herzegovina is loved.

"My childhood, like the childhood of all children who were in Bosnia and Herzegovina during the war, was neither easy nor simple. Many innocent people lost their lives. I can say with certainty that this period made us more resilient. And precisely because of that, we love our country Bosnia and Herzegovina even more and want to present it to the world as a positive country, a country of good people," Džeko stated.

He emphasized that the BiH national team is one of the few that has great fan support wherever it plays.

"I feel that I have never had greater desire and motivation. I don't know if that comes with age or with the thought that it might soon be over. I believe that sport unites people, connects them. Now we have the opportunity to represent our country on the biggest stage. I hope we will meet expectations," the captain said.

The families of other players, the president of the Football Association of BiH Vico Zeljković, numerous fans living in Canada who originate from BiH, as well as fans from BiH and other parts of the world, have also arrived in Toronto.

Numerous fans arrived from BiH