Canada's historic World Cup opener draws celebrity crowd to Toronto Stadium
Ryan Reynolds, Mike Myers, Connor McDavid, and other high-profile Canadians attended Friday's match against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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Canada's first-ever men's FIFA World Cup match on home soil drew a celebrity-studded crowd to Toronto Stadium on Friday, June 12.
Actors Ryan Reynolds and Mike Myers were in attendance, with coach Jesse Marsch notably excited about Myers' presence postgame. "Mike Myers was here? Oh, sweet," Marsch said.
Will Arnett also attended the match. From the sports world, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was spotted enjoying the game with a glass of wine. Olympic sprinter Andre De Grasse and retired TFC legend Dwayne De Rosario were cheering from the stands. Dwayne De Grasse told media before kickoff: "We've been waiting for the moment for the last four years."
Canadian basketball player Dillon Brooks was also at the stadium.
Before the match, several Canadian performers took the stage. Alessia Cara, Jessie Reyez, Elyanna, and Michael Bublé performed, while Alanis Morissette sang the national anthem. Rob Baker, lead guitarist of The Tragically Hip, was also in attendance.
Canada tied the match 1-1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina, earning what organizers called a historic first World Cup point on home soil. The crowd of 45,000 filled the Liberty Village stadium and surrounding streets as the city hosted the largest sporting event ever held on Canadian soil.