Group B · Matchday 1
CanadavsBosnia and Herzegovina
2026-06-12·15:00 localPredictions finalised
The forecast
Match-outcome probability
- Canada win57.9%
- Draw24.5%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina win17.6%
A clash of identities: Canada's pragmatic approach meets Bosnia and Herzegovina's balanced style in a fixture the model gives to Canada at 53%.
Why the model says this
Favoring Canada
- ·Canada is favoured by a 190 ELO point delta over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- ·Canada's expected goals (xG) are projected at 1.4, significantly higher than Bosnia and Herzegovina's 0.83.
- ·Canada holds a FIFA rank of 27, indicating a higher standing compared to Bosnia and Herzegovina, whose rank is not provided.
- ·The ELO model assigns Canada a 63.9% win probability, and the Stacking model gives them 56.5%, reflecting strong support from these underlying components.
Favoring Bosnia and Herzegovina
- ·Bosnia and Herzegovina are unbeaten in their last 6 matches, recording 2 wins and 4 draws.
- ·In their last 6 matches, Bosnia and Herzegovina have scored 12 goals, demonstrating attacking capability.
- ·Bosnia and Herzegovina have drawn 4 of their last 6 matches, suggesting resilience and difficulty to defeat.
- ·Video analysis indicates Bosnia and Herzegovina have previously scored from a set-piece header, highlighting a potential threat from dead-ball situations.
What the model can't fully price
- ·The model does not currently adjust for squad availability, with 5 players (2 home, 3 away) carrying fitness doubts, including 2 projected starters.
- ·Specific venue conditions, such as travel or altitude acclimatization, are not factored into the probabilities as venue details are not provided.
- ·The unique motivational factors for a Group B Matchday 1 fixture, such as the importance of a strong start to a tournament, are not explicitly captured by the statistical model.
Form check
Canada
SteadyCanada's recent form shows a tendency towards draws, with four in their last six matches. They have secured one win and one loss in this period, scoring 4 goals and conceding 3.
4 draws in last 6 matches
Bosnia and Herzegovina
ImprovingBosnia and Herzegovina enter this match in strong form, unbeaten in their last six outings, with two wins and four draws. They have shown attacking prowess, scoring 12 goals while conceding 7 in these matches.
Unbeaten in their last 6 matches
Analysis
How it plays out
Neither side has a rigid tactical identity. Both adapt to the opponent, so the first 15 minutes will reveal who imposes their plan first.
What decides it
Canada adjust shape to the opponent. That flexibility is an asset, but it takes longer to settle into a game. Jonathan David's 14.3% scoring probability is the highest in this fixture. Containing that output is Bosnia and Herzegovina's primary defensive task.
Off the pitch
Bosnia and Herzegovina travel 7,287km, 2x Canada's journey. Second-half fatigue is a real factor at that differential.
The angle
Likely the last World Cup for Edin Džeko. Tournament experience at this level is hard to quantify but hard to replace.
▸Goals & scorelines
Likeliest score 1–0 (15.4%) · xG 1.3 - 0.8
Expected goals
Mean of the Dixon-Coles joint goal distribution. Same fit that produces the most-likely-scoreline list below.
Most likely scorelines
- 1–015.4%
- 1–113.3%
- 0–012.9%
- 2–010.8%
- 0–18.7%
From the Dixon-Coles joint Poisson with the low-score correction. Scorelines are listed in probability order; this is a description of the model's distribution, not a recommendation.
Most likely half-time scorelines
- 0–035.4%
- 1–022.7%
- 0–113.0%
- 1–19.6%
- 2–07.7%
Same Dixon-Coles fit as the full-time list above, with rates halved to a 45-minute window and the low-score correction applied to that 1st-half block. The 0-0 row sits higher here than at full-time because fewer minutes have elapsed.
Goal totals
- More than 0.5 goals87.1%
- More than 1.5 goals63.0%
- More than 2.5 goals35.3%
- More than 3.5 goals16.3%
- More than 4.5 goals6.3%
- More than 5.5 goals2.1%
- Both teams score40.5%
Each row is the probability the match finishes with more than the listed number of goals. Both-teams-to-score is the probability each side scores at least once. All values are marginals of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid that produces the scoreline list above — not market lines or any other operator construct.
Event-typed probabilities
- Canada clean sheetOpposing team scores zero46.0%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina clean sheetOpposing team scores zero26.4%
Derived from the same Dixon-Coles joint distribution as the scoreline list. These are descriptive event probabilities — see CLAUDE.md §3/§4 (formerly COMPLIANCE.md §4.2.7) for the framing the project uses.
Win-margin probability
- Canada by 4+2.6%
- Canada by 3+8.7%
- Canada by 2+23.7%
- Canada by 1+49.0%
- Draw29.9%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina by 1+21.1%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina by 2+6.6%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina by 3+1.5%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina by 4+0.3%
Each row is the probability the match ends with the listed margin or larger in that direction. Marginal of the Dixon-Coles joint goal grid; the “by 1+” rows plus the draw row sum to 1.
▸How the match unfolds
Over 2.5 goals 35.3% · BTTS 40.5%
Game state through the match
- Canada ahead49.8%
- Level28.3%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead21.8%
Probability of each game state at minutes 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 — derived from two independent thinned-Poisson processes with the Dixon-Coles per-team rates. The three lines always sum to 1 at each minute. The right column shows the state at the match's closing minute.
When the first goal arrives
- 0–1529.6%
- 15–3020.8%
- 30–4514.7%
- 45–6010.3%
- 60–757.3%
- 75–905.1%
- No goal12.1%
Probability the match's first goal arrives in each 15-minute window. Homogeneous Poisson with combined rate λ = λh + λa from the Dixon-Coles fit; the seven rows (six windows + no-goal tail) sum to 1.
Half-time / full-time grid
| HT ↓ / FT → | HCanada win | DDraw | ABosnia and Herzegovina win |
|---|---|---|---|
| HCanada ahead | 31.3% | 4.2% | 0.9% |
| DLevel | 16.8% | 20.3% | 8.5% |
| ABosnia and Herzegovina ahead | 1.6% | 4.2% | 12.3% |
Each cell is P(half-time result, full-time result). All nine cells sum to 1. Derived from a halved-λ Dixon-Coles fit for the first half plus an independent-Poisson second-half convolution.
Comeback probability
- Canada trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT5.8%
- Bosnia and Herzegovina trail at HT, avoid defeat at FT5.1%
Joint probability — P(side trailing at half-time AND avoiding defeat at full-time). NOT conditional on trailing at HT. Derived from the same half-time / full-time decomposition that produces the HT/FT grid above; a tied first half is neither a home nor an away comeback opportunity.
Cards
- Expected yellow cardsMean of the Poisson on total yellow cards.3.45
- Total yellows over 2.567.0%
- Total yellows over 3.545.3%
- Total yellows over 4.526.5%
- Any red cardP(at least one red card in the match).9.5%
Referee not yet assigned. Using the 2026 pool-mean per-match rate as a placeholder; the model picks up the referee's personal rate once the assignment is published. Total yellow cards modelled as a Poisson with mean equal to two team baselines plus the referee's deviation from the pool mean. Reds are modelled the same way, independently. See /docs/methodology/.
▸Teams & players
Top scorer: David (14.3%)
Match detail
Canada
Model-rated key players: Jonathan David (FW) — P(scores) 14.3%; Lucas Cavallini (FW) — P(scores) 6.7%; Cyle Larin (FW) — P(scores) 4.3%.
Canada under Jesse Marsch play a pragmatic game with 49% possession. Their likely shape is a 4-4-2, though they have also used 3-4-3. They apply moderate pressing intensity (PPDA 20.6). They favour high-quality chances (xG/shot 0.156, among the best in the field).
Canada play a pragmatic, results-oriented game that adapts shape to the opposition. Tactical flexibility is their strength. The risk is inconsistency — without a default identity, a poor result can cascade if the team struggles to find a Plan B.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Model-rated key players: Ermin Bičakčić (DF) — P(scores) 4.5%; Edin Džeko (FW) — P(scores) 4.9%; Ermedin Demirović (FW) — P(scores) 4.9%.
Limited recent tournament data is available for Bosnia and Herzegovina's tactical profile. Early indicators suggest a balanced approach.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will need to leverage their strengths while managing the physical demands of a tournament spread across three host countries. Managing minutes for Edin Džeko across what could be seven matches will test the coaching staff's rotation planning.
Canada historically converts 13.0% of xG from set-pieces, contributing 0.17 expected set-piece goals in this fixture. Bosnia and Herzegovina converts 8.1% from set-pieces (0.06 expected). Combined, the model expects 0.24 set-piece goals across the 90 minutes.
- P(Canada scores set-piece goal) 16.0%
- P(Bosnia and Herzegovina scores set-piece goal) 6.1%
- P(set-piece goal in match) 21.1%
Canada: Junior Hoilett on corners (25 corners) (per fbref 2018 19) · Bosnia and Herzegovina: Amer Gojak on corners (14 corners) (per fbref 2020 21)
If a penalty is awarded to Canada, the model gives 72.0% conversion, 72.0% for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Canada primary PK: Jonathan David (2/3 in 2022-23, per fbref 2018 19) · Bosnia and Herzegovina primary PK: Ermin Bičakčić (0/1 in 2013-14, per fbref 2020 21).
Derived from the model's per-fixture forecast joint and supporting reference data (predicted squads, set-piece xG share, PK posteriors, club minutes). See /docs/methodology/ for the full methodology.
Tactical forecast
- PPDA
- 20.6
- Possession
- 49%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- 6.8
- Long balls/90
- 31
- Set-piece xG
- 13%
Partial coverage from FotMob match stats (recent qualifiers and friendlies): possession and shot volume only. Press and build-up metrics are not available for this side.
- PPDA
- —
- Possession
- 49%
- Directness (yds/pass)
- —
- Long balls/90
- —
- Set-piece xG
- 8%
Style profile per side from StatsBomb open-data aggregation across recent international tournaments (Euro 2020/2024, Copa America 2024, AFCON 2023, World Cup 2018/2022). The tactical-fingerprint badge maps each team’s observed style vector into one of eight canonical archetypes via a rule-based classifier; teams with fewer than three matches of qualifying coverage carry an “insufficient-data” label rather than being forced into a default. Sides outside the StatsBomb-open corpus use FotMob team match stats from recent qualifiers and friendlies instead (possession and shot volume only), marked as partial coverage. PPDA = passes the side allows per defensive action (lower = more intense press). Formation distributions are not yet produced — that head of the §2.7 classifier is pending its own data pull. See /docs/methodology/.
Squad depth
Most irreplaceable starters
Canada
- Alistair Johnston TRPFull-backNo natural backup0.51gap
- Jonathan DavidStrikerCover: Daniel Jebbison · 0.370.31gap
- Dayne St. ClairGoalkeeperCover: Owen Goodman · 0.330.31gap
Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Amar DedićFull-backCover: Arjan Malić · 0.270.56gap
- Ermedin DemirovićStrikerCover: Haris Tabaković · 0.360.47gap
- Edin DžekoStrikerCover: Haris Tabaković · 0.360.33gap
Gap = how far a side's rating at the position falls from the starter to his likely in-squad replacement (named under each name). Larger = harder to replace. Descriptive metric, does not feed the published probabilities. Methodology →
Match conditions
- AltitudeNear sea level78 m
- Avg temperatureFive-year mean over the tournament window21.2 °C
- Avg humidity71%
- Heat stressShade WBGT ~22.9 °CLow heat stress
- Pitch surfacenatural grass
Natural-grass football stadium.
Heat stress is a shade Wet-Bulb Globe Temperature proxy from the venue's climatology mean temperature and humidity; FIFA mandates cooling breaks at WBGT 32 °C. Afternoon kickoff (local time). These are long-window averages, not a match-day forecast, and they are not inputs to the forecast.
Top scorers · P(scores in this match)
- Jonathan DavidPKFW14.3%
- Lucas CavalliniFW6.7%
- Cyle LarinFW4.3%
- Ermin BičakčićPKDF4.5%
- Edin DžekoFW4.9%
- Ermedin DemirovićFW4.9%
Per-player scoring rate from Model #5 (`p_score_per_match`). Reflects each player's npxG/90, expected minutes, team xG share, and the average opposing-team defence. See /docs/methodology/.
Recent match form
Last match player ratings
Canada
vs South Africa · avg 6.0
Bosnia and Herzegovina
vs United States · avg 6.5
Worked well: Their goalkeeper made some good saves, and the defence managed to clear several dangerous situations, including a corner kick.
Struggled: The team found it difficult to transition into attack and create meaningful scoring opportunities, with only one notable shot on target shown in the highlights.
Player scores from official highlight analysis of each team's most recent match. Observational, not a model input. Methodology →
Video analysis: player performance
Per-player ratings and event breakdowns from official highlights analysis. Tap a player to see their full match timeline.
8Cyle Larin76'–339'Came off the bench to score the crucial equalizing goal, making a significant impact.
1goals1fouls won▼
Came off the bench to score the crucial equalizing goal, making a significant impact.
Match timeline
6Liam Millar1'–61'Committed a foul and was substituted without making a significant impact.
1fouls won1fouls▼
Committed a foul and was substituted without making a significant impact.
Match timeline
6Jonathan David28'–28'Drew a yellow card for an opponent but had no other significant actions.
1fouls won▼
Drew a yellow card for an opponent but had no other significant actions.
Match timeline
6Derek Cornelius45'–45'Drew a yellow card for an opponent but had no other significant actions.
1fouls won▼
Drew a yellow card for an opponent but had no other significant actions.
Match timeline
6Tajon Buchanan47'–47'Drew a yellow card for an opponent but had no other significant actions.
1fouls won▼
Drew a yellow card for an opponent but had no other significant actions.
Match timeline
6Promise David61'–61'Came on as a substitute but had no specific actions mentioned.
▼
Came on as a substitute but had no specific actions mentioned.
Match timeline
6Tani Oluwaseyi76'–339'Played for a significant period before being substituted without notable distinction.
▼
Played for a significant period before being substituted without notable distinction.
Match timeline
6Stephen Eustáquio90'–90'Played for most of the match before being substituted without notable distinction.
▼
Played for most of the match before being substituted without notable distinction.
Match timeline
6Jonathan Osorio90'–90'Came on as a late substitute but had no specific actions mentioned.
▼
Came on as a late substitute but had no specific actions mentioned.
Match timeline
8Jovo Lukić21'–21'Scored Bosnia's opening goal with a header from a corner.
1goals1headers▼
Scored Bosnia's opening goal with a header from a corner.
Match timeline
8Nikola Vasilj23'–313'Made several crucial saves throughout the match, keeping his team in contention.
3saves▼
Made several crucial saves throughout the match, keeping his team in contention.
Match timeline
7Sead Kolašinac1'–3'Made an astonishing goal-line clearance but received an early yellow card.
2blocks1fouls won1 yellow▼
Made an astonishing goal-line clearance but received an early yellow card.
Match timeline
7Tarik Muharemović28'–28'Made a crucial defensive block but also received a yellow card for a foul.
1blocks1 yellow▼
Made a crucial defensive block but also received a yellow card for a foul.
Match timeline
7Nikola Katić89'–89'Made a key defensive block but also received a yellow card for a foul.
1blocks1 yellow▼
Made a key defensive block but also received a yellow card for a foul.
Match timeline
6Amar Memić2'–2'Took a free-kick that went over the bar, with no other notable contributions.
1shots▼
Took a free-kick that went over the bar, with no other notable contributions.
Match timeline
6Esmir Bajraktarević74'–74'Played for a significant period before being substituted without notable distinction.
▼
Played for a significant period before being substituted without notable distinction.
Match timeline
6Ivan Šunjić74'–74'Came on as a substitute but had no specific actions mentioned.
▼
Came on as a substitute but had no specific actions mentioned.
Match timeline
5Ermedin Demirović45'–45'Received a yellow card for a foul without any noted positive contributions.
1 yellow▼
Received a yellow card for a foul without any noted positive contributions.
Match timeline
5Amar Dedić47'–47'Received a yellow card for a foul without any noted positive contributions.
1 yellow▼
Received a yellow card for a foul without any noted positive contributions.
Match timeline
Match observations
- The match was a closely contested affair, with both teams creating scoring opportunities.
- Bosnia and Herzegovina took the lead from a set-piece header in the first half.
- Canada pressed for an equaliser, eventually finding it through a substitute in the second half.
▸Under the hood
Model-by-model comparison
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
| Model | Weight | Home | Draw | Away |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EloRating-based strength estimate | 32% | 61.0% | 22.0% | 17.0% |
| Dixon-ColesGoal-process model with low-score correction | 63% | 48.9% | 29.9% | 21.3% |
| Hierarchical PoissonBayesian model with confederation pooling | 6% | 47.2% | 29.4% | 23.4% |
| Bayesian stackingLearned-weight combination | — | 57.0% | 30.4% | 12.6% |
| Ensemble (published)Uniform average + isotonic calibration | — | 53.2% | 28.1% | 18.7% |
How each model works
- Elo
- Each team carries a single strength rating updated after every match by a margin-aware K-factor. Match probabilities come from the logistic function of the rating gap. Elo is fast-adapting but coarse — it sees only who won and by how much, not how the goals were scored.
- Dixon-Coles
- A Poisson regression on team-level attack and defence parameters, fitted via maximum likelihood with an exponential time-decay weighting. The Dixon-Coles correction adjusts the four low-score cells (0-0, 1-0, 0-1, 1-1) where independent Poisson underestimates dependence. Produces full scoreline distributions, not just H/D/A.
- Hierarchical Poisson
- A Bayesian Poisson model fitted via MCMC (PyMC) with hierarchical priors that pool attack and defence parameters within confederations. Shrinks small-sample teams toward their confederation mean — helpful for nations with few recent competitive fixtures. Slower to fit but better-calibrated on the tails.
- Bayesian stacking
- Optimises simplex weights (w_elo, w_dc, w_hp) to maximise the leave-one-out log-score across a walk-forward backtest (Yao et al. 2018). The result is a weighted average of the three component models' probabilities, then isotonic-calibrated. Adds no extra features — just learns which component to trust more from historical accuracy.
- Ensemble (published)
- Equal-weight average of all three component models, followed by per-class isotonic regression calibration fitted on 24 months of walk-forward out-of-fold predictions. This is the probability published on the site. The uniform mean is deliberately simple — it avoids overfitting to the stacking weights' training window.
Three independent component models feed two combination strategies. The uniform ensemble is the published probability; Bayesian stacking uses learned weights. Amber bars flag >5pp divergence from the published number. Full methodology
Probability decomposition (transparency surface)
- Baseline ensemble — P(Canada win)57.9%
- + Lineup contribution0.0pp
- + Style-matchup contribution0.0pp
- Published P(Canada win)57.9%
Decomposition of the published P(Canada win) into the calibrated- baseline plus contributions from the §2.3 expected-XI lineup delta and the §2.7 style-matchup interaction. The §2.7 roadmap is explicit that style effects are second-order to team strength — single-digit-percentage P(win) shifts on extreme style matchups, near-zero on balanced ones. We surface the decomposition for transparency even when the contributions are small; the baseline carries the prediction. Methodology: /docs/methodology.
For this fixture both contributions round to under 0.05pp — the fitted style-matchup pair effect is in the small-magnitude regime the model expects to dominate.
Head-to-head history
| Date | Competition | Venue | Score | Result | xG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 Jun 2026 | FIFA World Cup | HToronto | 1–1 | D | — |
Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, every senior international meeting in the martj42 results dataset (score from Canada's perspective; H/A/N = home/away/neutral).
Latest news & match context
No recent headlines for Canada or Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Stage:
- Group B · Matchday 1
- Date:
- 12 Jun
Canada
Canada come in at close to full strength.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina come in at close to full strength.
Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina both come in at close to full strength, so the forecast rests on baseline team strength rather than late team-news swings.
Availability from the predicted squads and injury feed; forecast adjustments from the model's own decomposition. See /docs/methodology/.
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