00:02Welcome to Beyond the Game. The Bulls takes fewer in a dramatic Group B opener at the 2026 World Cup.
00:08Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina played out a high-intensity clash defined by tactical discipline and moments of brilliance.
00:15Bosnia struck first in the 21st minute, punishing Canada from a set-piece as a towering header from Lukacs silenced
00:21the home crowd
00:22and exposed Canada's early struggles defending dead Bulls.
00:25Canada responded with sustained pressure using quick transitions and wide play through Taron Buchanan and Jonathan David to stretch the
00:35Bosnian back line.
00:37The breakthrough finally came late as substitute Kyle Lahren made an instant impact finishing Smalley in the 79th minute after
00:43a clever flick inside the box.
00:45Canada pushed for a winner in the final stages but Bosnia's goalkeeper stood firm, highlighted by a crucial late save
00:52to preserve the draw.
00:59One more! One more! One more! One more! One more! One more! One more! One more!
01:04I think that candidate performed well. I think Bosnia performed well. We look forward to a good tournament. We're hoping
01:09for more.
01:10It was really impressive. I don't expect that it will be a goal. But he scored and all started to
01:19celebrate, to be fun. All good.
01:22It was just really exciting. I had beer all over me but like it was worth it.
01:26Did you expect it? Yeah. And you saw it coming? I mean, I've been waiting for it. We had so
01:32many chances. So yeah, when I saw it I was like, you know.
01:35I think it was very exciting. We're all from Toronto to celebrate with other Canadians. It's very special. And like
01:42she said, the beer was flying all over. It was a pure classic moment.
01:46Unreal. We've been waiting all day for that. I'm happy they got one. Maybe could have been more but we'll
01:52take it.
01:53What's your reaction to the goal? Very exciting. I love to see how excited everyone is. Go Canada!
02:00Canada! Canada! Canada! Canada! Canada! Canada! Canada! Canada! Canada! Canada!
02:09And after this result, Group B remains finally balanced. Both sides picked up their first point of the tournament.
02:15With no team yet able to pull away, we still have to see the result of the Switzerland-Qatar game.
02:20Group B is wide open heading into the next round of fixtures so far, where a single win could reshape
02:25the standings.
02:37Topics in the United States, the Haitian community is celebrating the return of the nation to the FIFA World Cup
02:43after 50 years.
02:44However, the high prices and restrictions for participating in the event make it very difficult.
02:49Our correspondent Dan Albright has the latest news.
02:56Here in Mattapan, Haiti's return to the Men's World Cup is already visible in storefronts, flags, shirts and the pride
03:04of one of Massachusetts' largest Haitian communities.
03:09On Saturday, June 13th, Haiti plays Scotland at Gillette Stadium, Boston's first World Cup match, one of the first hosted
03:18in the United States, and Haiti's first Men's World Cup appearance in more than 50 years.
03:23For Haitian fans here, this is a historic moment, but it is also exposing the contradictions of a World Cup
03:30built around luxury prices, police, borders and billionaires.
03:35I would love to go to the game, but I know fulfilling this for the community would be a much
03:41more fulfilling experience for me myself.
03:43Yeah.
03:44Many people can't afford to be a part of it, and so that's why understanding that was why we thought
03:50it would be a great idea for us to be able to put on a community game.
03:54Ianel and his organization, Mattapan Main Streets, are organizing a community celebration here in Almonte Park the day of the
04:01match.
04:02But Ianel told me they could not get a permit to stay in the park after dark, so they won't
04:07actually be able to watch Haiti's 9 p.m. kickoff together here.
04:11And for many fans, the official celebration inside Gillette is out of reach.
04:17661.
04:18Wow.
04:18So at least from the first page here.
04:20Recent resale listings for Haiti versus Scotland have been starting around $600 before transportation, parking or food.
04:29Boston does have a free fan festival at City Hall Plaza, but entry requires advanced registration and is not guaranteed.
04:36New York created $50 resident tickets with free transportation, but Boston has announced no comparable plan.
04:43The public money is easier to find for security.
04:47Foxborough demanded $7.8 million up front for World Cup policing and emergency costs.
04:52But Pierre-Robert Aretis of the Haitian Immigrant Family Services Institute in Mattapan told me nothing could stop him from
05:00celebrating with his community.
05:02That is a signal that we are sending to other countries that we are alive and our flag will be
05:11here in the United States for a good reason.
05:14Trump imposed a travel ban on Haiti, keeping Haitian nationals from attending these historic matches in the US.
05:21His administration also put in jeopardy temporary protective status for Haitian immigrants.
05:26And on the campaign trail, Trump spread the racist, false claim that Haitian immigrants were eating cats and dogs.
05:33Rhetoric that Haitian community leaders warned put people in danger.
05:37The contradiction is bigger than one match, though.
05:41We are the first nation who break the slave chain.
05:47And at this time, since 2021, we don't have a president.
05:54Haitians live with a long record of US occupation, intervention, destabilization and disaster aid routed through foreign NGOs and contractors
06:04with little accountability.
06:06In the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise, US prosecutors said South Florida was a hub for planning and financing
06:14the plot.
06:14That's why some activists are going further.
06:17As we reported in April, the anti-fascist football coalition is calling for the games to be moved from the
06:24United States over its war crimes.
06:26But here in Mattapan, Haiti's return to the World Cup is being celebrated with joy, pride and community.
06:33We are proud of our country. We are proud of our community.
06:37We are suffering together and we will be alive together.
06:41The tournament surrounding it, though, tells a different story.
06:45The world's game turned into a gated spectacle where working class immigrant communities are welcomed as culture,
06:53but priced out, restricted and policed as people.
06:57From Mattapan, I'm Dan Albright.
07:00Tell us or.
07:03Different national teams such as the Ivory Coast, Senegal, Iran and Haiti, as we were just seeing,
07:09are facing a critical situation at the 2026 World Cup as strict immigration and national security policies in the United
07:15States have massively restricted the issuance of visas for official fund delegations and certain support groups.
07:21The major has sparked intense international controversy and accusations of racism and discrimination toward African, Caribbean and Middle Eastern supporters,
07:30overshadowing the tournament's message of unity by leaving these qualified teams without the direct backing of their traditionally vibrant travelling
07:39fan bases.
07:40Similarly, supporters from Iran and Haiti have had their tickets revoked or have been denied entry into the US,
07:47meaning these four squads will be forced to play their historic World Cup matches relying exclusively on the support of
07:53diaspora communities already residing in the United States.
08:09Thomas Partey will miss Ghana's opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup against Panama in Toronto after the Canadian
08:17government denied his visa application.
08:19Ghana's Group L debut on June 17th will therefore take place without its key midfielder.
08:24According to the decision, the Canada Border Services Agency, in coordination with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada,
08:31rejected Partey's visa due to seven legal charges in the United Kingdom that remain under active judicial review.
08:37As a result, the 32-year-old midfielder will remain at Ghana's training base in Boston
08:42and will only be eligible to rejoin the squad for subsequent matches scheduled to be played in the United States.
08:54This is all for this edition of Beyond the Game.
08:57Stay tuned with Telesur on our socials and on our TV channel for the scores of the opening game of
09:03the United States against Paraguay in just a few minutes.
09:06So we're going to go back to you, Alejandra.
09:08Thank you, Lizzie. Thank you very much for your updates on the World Cup 2026.
09:14And after these informations, we have come to the end of this news brief.
09:18Remember, you can find this and many other stories on our website at telesurenglish.net.
09:23Also, join us on social media. We'll be right back.
09:26I'm Alejandra Garcia for Telesur English. Thank you for watching.
Comments