A look at the six FIFA World Cup games to be played in Toronto

Canada will host 13 games during the FIFA World Cup, with six games in Toronto and seven in Vancouver.

Here’s a snapshot look at the six games that will be played at Toronto Stadium:

JUNE 12

CANADA VS. BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Canadian star Alphonso Davies is not expected to play in the team’s opener as he continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

A sellout crowd of over 45,000 fans is expected to be in full voice for the first FIFA World Cup game to be played in Canada. Temporary grandstands were installed at BMO Field, which has been renamed Toronto Stadium for the tournament.

Canada, ranked 30th in the world, did not record a victory in its World Cup debut in 1986 at Mexico or in its return to the tournament four years ago in Qatar.

Bosnia-Herzegovina, the world No. 65, pulled off an upset win over 12th-ranked Italy last March to qualify.

The visitors beat the Azzurri on penalty kicks to secure their first World Cup appearance since 2014. Bosnia also needed a shootout to get by Wales in the qualification semifinals.

JUNE 17

GHANA VS. PANAMA

Panama will hold its training camp in New Tecumseth, Ont., a town of about 50,000 located about 100 kilometres north of Toronto Stadium.

Ghana won’t have playmaker Mohammed Kudus available due to a quadriceps injury. Forward Antoine Semenyo and midfielder Thomas Partey will try to pick up the slack for the 74th-ranked side.

At No. 33, Panama is the highest-ranked team from Central America.

JUNE 20

GERMANY VS. IVORY COAST

Time for a soccer heavyweight to make an appearance.

Four-time World Cup champion Germany will play the middle match of its group schedule in Canada, sandwiched between games against Curacao in Houston and Ecuador in East Rutherford, N.J.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer recently came out of international retirement, and the 40-year-old is expected to be Germany’s No. 1 netminder. He helped Germany win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The 34th-ranked Ivory Coast is returning to the tournament for the first time in 12 years.

JUNE 23

PANAMA VS. CROATIA

Panama is the lone country to play two group-stage matches at the lakefront venue, but this matchup will definitely feel like a road game.

Ontario is home to over 100,000 people of Croatian descent. Supporters sporting the team’s distinct red-and-white checkered kit should be out in force at Toronto Stadium.

Veterans Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic will lead the 11th-ranked Croatia side, which finished third at the 2022 World Cup.

JUNE 26

SENEGAL VS. IRAQ

The pressure could be on for this Group I showdown depending on the teams’ results over their first two matches.

Top-ranked France is the class of a pool that also includes Norway. Senegal, the world No. 14, boasts a physical style of play that will be needed to penetrate the defence of the 57th-ranked Iraq side.

With eight third-place teams advancing in the new 48-team format, this match could have a significant impact on who makes it to the knockout stage.

JULY 2

ROUND-OF-32 GAME, TEAMS TBD

The second-place finishers from Group K and Group L will square off in this round-of-32 matchup, the lone knockout game to be played in Toronto.

Fifth-ranked Portugal and No. 13 Colombia are the favourites to finish in the top two in a Group K pool that includes No. 46 Democratic Republic of Congo and No. 50 Uzbekistan.

Fourth-ranked England or No. 11 Croatia are good bets to finish second in Group L. At No. 33, Panama can’t be ruled out for a second-place finish, while No. 74 Ghana is a long shot.

By Gregory Strong