World Cup Week by Kemal Ahmetović - His Majesty Football and a Dreaming Bosnia

All Friday I try to stay calm, composed, communicative, sociable... I wouldn't say I succeeded in any of that? The reason is Canada, Toronto, BMO Field stadium... the third match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nervousness shakes me. I step out onto the apartment balcony and see it! The flag of my country is waving. Oh, how a smile suddenly spreads across my face. And lo and behold. I am completely calm. I enter smiling. My wife has prepared coffee. She knows what I need when anticipation takes hold of me. I exhale like a weight after a hard day. I thought to myself. Well, even if we don't win on the pitch, we certainly will in the stands!

What our fans have prepared in Toronto exceeds all expectations. When you see a cortege of 20,000 fans in such a distant country, which is very importantly without a single incident, one cannot help but wonder, how great is the love for Bosnia and Herzegovina?

"My people, is this possible," the legendary Mladen Delić once shouted.

This is the 23rd edition of the World Cup and it has probably never happened before, that a small country of three million inhabitants has so many fans across the pond.

There is something else. The cities look beautiful adorned with national flags. The most charming are the children... How these generations are happily wrapped! The footballers from all over Bosnia and Herzegovina made that possible... And he tells me 'There is no Bosnia'. There is, there is, and Herzegovina too.

All preparations for the match are complete. The start approaches. Just a few forgetful ones still need to bring something... and suddenly, silence. Everything stops. It begins.

Both sides played cautiously. Understandably. We threatened first through Memić. We saw a miss from a shot outside the box. The hosts also had a big chance but Vasilj saved it. And then BMO Field shook. Bašić sends the ball from a corner to Kolašinac. A header pass to Lukić and a nod from our striker for the lead. Someone rightly notes. A Croat crossed, a Bosniak assisted, a Serb scored. I don't like counting blood grains, but this is definitely how, that is how my country has functioned for centuries.

There was singing in the stands, and far away in the homeland, joy did not subside for a long time.

From that moment we started to close up. The Canadians played a high press and we began losing balls in midfield, thus easing the opponent's task. The lack of technical quality created problems for us, and we also struggled with game organization. With the departure of Pjanić and Misimović, we lost creativity and have not yet managed to fix that because we don't have such players on the pitch.

The second period belonged entirely to the hosts. We defended well. Whenever we moved forward and left them space, the Canadians, with their quick transition, caused us problems, and in one instance Kolašinac probably saved a goal.

In the midst of the 'red jerseys' attack, Demirović ran a counter-attack and found himself in front of the home goalkeeper. Everything could have been decided, but it wasn't?

And as usually happens, punishment arrives. In the scramble in front of our goal, about ten minutes before the end, the agile reserve player Larin hits Vasilj's net.

We continued to defend. It was almost panicky in front of our goal but we defended. Will, heart, love decided.

We won a point that should be a harbinger of a calmer continuation at the World Cup.

If the statistics are correct, we see that the Canadians hit our goal frame four times, and we hit theirs once less. They dominated possession, which is not decisive. What can worry us are (in)accurate passes. We must minimize errors and further improve transition.

Let's conclude.

The value of this debut appearance at the championship, winning a point, is additional stimulation for our national team. We didn't play flamboyantly but we did play purposefully.

We have learned to play that way. For the result. This is our ninth consecutive match without defeat, with two wins.

The next match is on Thursday, June 18. Switzerland awaits us in Los Angeles. A very strong selection that, with its sixth consecutive appearance at the World Cup, wants to reach the second round after just two rounds... There is one problem. Bosnia and Herzegovina!

We want the same. Fortune favors the brave, it has proven true once again. The story of the first round, besides our performance, is the draw between Qatar and Switzerland. It has been shown that the battle is fought by the heart of the hero, not the tongue of the Swiss coach.

This is a warning for us and an aggravating circumstance for the Swiss because now more demanding matches come for them. Victory is almost imperative for them. And when you have to do something, that's when it's hardest.

The results from Sunday morning are, once again, surprising. Turkey recorded a defeat at the start of the World Cup, even though they shot at the opponent's goal 30 times. The goal was bewitched because the goalkeeper Rich was unbeatable, and once the post saved the 'kangaroos' goal.

Earlier, Brazil failed to beat Morocco. It was 1-1 after just half an hour of play.

The continuation belonged to the five-time world champion but the nets did not shake. It seems that the Moroccans analyzed the samba well, so this famous dance was not performed at the end of the match.

His Majesty football is in action. With slow steps we have headed towards the final, on July 19 in New York.