There's a photograph in the Didić household that holds a special significance.
It is the first picture they ever took in Canada, of the four of them in Vancouver airport with their packed bags in front of them. In the photo, Amer Didić, who 30 years later is a defender in the Canadian Premier League with Cavalry FC, is in his mom's arms.
"That was the start of a new life," said Didić.
When he was one year old, in late 1995, Didić and his family left Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina for Sherwood Park, Alberta., searching for a new beginning away from their war-torn home country.
Didić was incredibly sick on the flight over, so the first English word his mom learned was "hospital", so that she could get her son the medical attention he needed at the airport.
They have lived here ever since, with Amer playing in all eight of the Canadian Premier League's seasons, first for FC Edmonton, then Pacific, winning a CPL title with Atlético Ottawa before returning to his home province with Cavalry this season.
So when the Canadian men's national team takes on Bosnia and Herzegovina in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup on Friday at BMO Field, it will be a special afternoon for the Didić family.
"It's not per se I'm cheering for one," said Amer. "But it truly is fascinating and crazy to even think that my home country and the country that I was raised in are playing each other in the opening round. I'm excited, my parents are excited, and I can't wait."
It brings a lot of emotions. Didić represented Canada at the senior level, becoming the first active CPL player to play, and score for the national team on January 10, 2020. But his family is still distinctly Bosnian. Other than his mother, father and sister, everyone else lives back home.
"Being able to represent Canada was one of the highlights of my career, something I never would have imagined," said Didić in a lengthy interview with OneSoccer's Adam Jenkins earlier this year. "Definitely proud to wear that jersey, just because of everything this country has done for me.
So I know my dad, my mom, are Bosnian. They'll be cheering for Bosnia. It's tough for me, there's guys I know on the Canadian squad, who I played with. It's just a great thing to see from my point of view."
Bosnia delivered one of the shocks of World Cup qualifying in March when they defeated four-time tournament winners Italy in Didić's birth city of Zenica to qualify -- and eliminate the Azzurri.
"I'm sure you've seen it on social media, the city and flares and all that going on," said Didić of the scenes out of Zenica that day. "But that's just the Bosnian people, they're passionate, that's how it is. Football means a lot to them."
Didić expects them to be an incredibly difficult test for Canada. Bosnia, he says, are a team defined by their size and strength, but also a shared belief in what they can accomplish.
"I think everyone knows Edin Džeko, the diamond, he seems to be getting better with age," said Didić. "In front of net you have him there, that just sniffs the goal and has been a Bosnian legend for decades now and leads the team...the up and coming young guys in this group, they bring that next level spice, that next level dynamic ability to flip a game.
"They just have a big physical team that will compete, it has heart and the thing that has got them this far is that heart."
As fate would have it, Didić and Cavalry were in Toronto on Wednesday night, where they defeated Inter Toronto 5-1 in their final Canadian Premier League match before the World Cup.
Didić wasn't sure yet if he's sticking around the city to watch the historic match in person, or if he will do so on TV. But whatever the case, it will be a full circle moment for the 31-year-old and a special chance to celebrate his heritage and his two homes.