TORONTO, June 12 (Xinhua) -- Canada is bracing for a historic football moment as the 2026 FIFA World Cup opened on Thursday.

Workers prepare Toronto Stadium (temporarily renamed from BMO Field for the 2026 FIFA World Cup) in Toronto, Canada, on May 19, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

This year's tournament marks the first time that Canada will host matches for the FIFA World Cup, with the team set to play its opener on home soil against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday.

In an official statement released on Thursday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney declared, "Canada is ready for the beautiful game."

Carney noted that Canada first played at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico, and that football has flourished across the country since then.

The prime minister highlighted that his government has made an investment of over 750 million Canadian dollars to support the sport, projecting that the tournament is expected to create nearly 25,000 jobs and inject approximately two billion Canadian dollars into the national economy.

At a pre-match press conference held in Toronto on Thursday, Canada head coach Jesse Marsch, accompanied by vice-captain Stephen Eustaquio, expressed the team's readiness and focus.

Addressing the pressure of the tournament opener and the atmosphere of playing at home, Marsch said: "The pressure is real, but it stems from our deep understanding of the responsibility we carry representing our nation."

"We want to show the world that Canadian players are not just 'good people' - generous and kind - but also intense and fierce competitors," Marsch added.

Eustaquio, a veteran midfielder with Portuguese heritage, provided a lighthearted yet patriotic response when asked to name the favorites for the title. "Canada. Of course, also Portugal. Canada first," he said.