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Denis Krasnici constantly had a soccer ball at his feet while growing up in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
That continued even after his family immigrated to Canada in 1999 when he was just 14 years old.
“Football is the biggest thing back home,” Krasnici said. “When I was a kid, that’s when (my love for football) came, I guess.”
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While Krasnici has spent years following the Bosnian national soccer team including trips to Chicago and St. Louis, his next tournament will be an entirely new experience at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Toronto.
“I bought (tickets) last Sunday,” Krasnici said. “It was kind of spur of the moment. My brother-in-law was like, ‘Come, come (to Toronto).’”
Krasnici will live out his childhood dream on Friday as he’ll watch Canada and Bosnia open their respective tournaments against each other in a World Cup game both countries have waited for four years to arrive.
Paying just under $1,300 for a ticket, he said it was a no-brainer to experience a moment on the world stage in Canada which might not come again.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, right?” Krasnici said. “When’s the next time it’s going to come to North America? God knows, we’re probably going to be dead by the time it comes.”
Canada will host 13 matches at the World Cup, with Krasnici set to watch games in both Toronto and Seattle over the next month.
Before he arrives in Toronto, however, he’ll be searching for an artist with his heart split between his two homes.
“There’s lots of mutual respect between Canada and Bosnia,” Krasnici.
“It’ll be great. I almost want to go there painted half Bosnian and half Canadian on me. We’ll see if somebody’s painting in Toronto on Friday.”
Denis Krasnici (left) has attended several major international soccer tournaments representing Bosnia, but is off to Toronto for his first FIFA World Cup game. (Denis Krasnici/Submitted)
Canada and Bosnia are paired in Group B of the tournament alongside Qatar and Switzerland, with the top two teams advancing to the Round of 32, potentially alongside the third-place finisher.
Krasnici’s hope is that at the final whistle on Friday when he exits the stadium alongside over 45,000 other fans, Canada and Bosnia both earn points.
“Honestly, a tie would be great,” Krasnici said. “I would like to see both of the come out the group, it would be great. I’m cheering for both of them.”
Ever since he moved to Canada, Krasnici has been involved in both the local Bosnian community and the Saskatoon soccer scene with events like the World Cup merging the two together.
That same growth is occurring with Canadian national program, according to Krasnici, citing the love of the sport being brought into the country by more immigrants like himself.
“With more immigration, there’s more and more football fans,” Krasnici said.
“Hockey is huge here, but football is getting big, right? Like I said, the more immigration comes in, the more good players we’re going to get and hopefully we start qualifying every year.”
That road begins on Friday at 1 p.m. with Canada and Bosnia squaring off in a game which will captivate both countries.
Krasnici still is pinching himself that he’ll be there in person, eagerly awaiting the chance to sing both national anthems in a moment which will bring his soccer fandom full-circle.
“Let’s go Bosnia, let’s go Canada,” Krasnici said.
