Hamilton soccer fans cheer as Canada faces Bosnia and Herzegovina in World Cup opener

Hamilton is seeing football fever reaching a fever pitch at watch parties across the region, as Canada’s Men’s national soccer team took on Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It’s not the first time Canada has hosted a World Cup tournament.

It’s important to note that back in 2015, the FIFA Women’s World Cup was hosted across the country with Canada opening the tournament against China, ending in a 1-0 win for our Canadian squad.

CHCH News visited a few local celebrations for Friday’s match, and fans were hyped.

World Cup fever will get you out of class without a doctor’s note at St. Michael’s Catholic Elementary School in Hamilton.

In honour of the biggest soccer tournament on the world stage, they hosted their own match Friday, with teachers facing off against students.

READ MORE: Fans marching to Toronto Stadium ahead of first World Cup game on Canadian soil

“Today, being Canada’s opening game into a full World Cup day, students are wearing soccer jerseys, soccer apparel, and we’re going to have the whole school out here cheering on, hopefully the staff,” said Robbie Bonitatibus, the head coach for the St. Michael’s Catholic Elementary School Senior Soccer Team. “But I know the players are going to have a little more cheers than the staff would today.”

Yes, it was an excuse to get out of class, but the kids have some serious opinions on how Canada can make it past the group stage.

One student says that while Canada is not the greatest team in the world, they’re also not the worst and that they just haven’t been working hard enough.

Another student says that the Canadian team just needs to keep practicing, and to maintain good sportsmanship throughout the tournament.

Bonitatibus says having the World Cup on home soil makes his job, motivating the senior squad at St. Michael’s, that much easier.

“It brings up the player’s ambition to be better, because they watch it on TV, then they come to the pitch, whether it’s training or a game, and they want to be like those players on the pitch,” said Bonitatibus.

READ MORE: The Latest on Canada’s opening day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup

It was a high scoring match, ending in a 7-5 decision for the students.

As for Team Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the blue and yellow scored first — elated, but fans were just happy to make it past Italy to get here.

Over 2,000 World Cup soccer fans were at Hamilton Stadium to take in the atmosphere.

Forge FC Forward Molham Babouli loves to see the support.

“For Forge, obviously we like to bring the communities out and obviously you see it’s a pretty good turnout for a Friday,” said Babouli. “But yeah, it’s the World Cup, it brings everybody together and brings that excitement out.”

Nerves are high for some Team Canada fans having faith they will win Friday, and make it out of the group stage.

One excited fan said they were excited to witness Canada play and to be Canadian as well, hoping that they would win.

WATCH MORE: World Cup kicks off in Canada today