TORONTO — The rallying cry is catchier than an early-2000s ringtone.

I am from Bosnia!

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Take me to America!

The lyrics of a decade-old song has morphed into Bosnia and Herzegovina’s fan anthem as fans chanted the mantra throughout their dramatic qualifying venture all the way to North America, where Bosnia drew co-host Canada 1-1 in a thrilling match on Friday, June 12 to begin Group B play.  

Before the match, at BMO Field's fan center, the DJ hyping up the crowd knew to have that be one of the final songs to induce maximum frenzy. The scene was even crazier once the stadium's loudspeakers played it while inside.

The song's backstory is fascinating. The band that created it, Dubioza Kolektiv, released it in 2011 as part of an album called "Wild, Wild East," according to DW.

"It's about a typical experience of someone from the Balkans, going abroad in a search of a better life — in this case, in search of the 'American dream,'" bassist Vedran Mujagic told DW. "But then, faced with the reality of immigrant life, life in the diaspora, he kind of realizes that it's not all perfect (there) and he decides there is no place like the motherland and he goes back."

But the line of "I am from Bosnia take it to America" took on a new meaning as Bosnia sought to reach America ... aka the 2026 World Cup. They stormed through the qualifying tournament that saw them dispatch Wales and Italy to secure their spot in the field of 48. Fans sang it to celebrate making their second World Cup (2014), prompting Dubioza Kolektiv to shoot a music video with some modified lyrics. Published two weeks ago, it had 1.9 million views on YouTube as of June 12.

Fans in blue, yellow and white streamed throughout downtown Toronto over the past 48 hours; the giant pot of coffee also made the trip. They came from far – Bosnia is a Balkan nation in eastern Europe – and near – Boston, Pittsburgh and even Toronto itself.

“Just thankful for every fan that came all the way to Toronto, even the ones who live here,” Bosnia defender Tarik Muharemovic said.

Their fans dutifully filled out their dedicated section well before the 3 p.m. local time kickoff. One fan – already part of a contingent without a shirt – was detained by police before the match started.

But reports of 30,000 Bosnian supporters filling a stadium with a capacity of 43,000 for an away match were greatly exaggerated. The stands were, as Canada head coach Jesse Marsch predicted, a sea of red. That didn't stop them from making their presence felt.

Neither Canada nor Bosnia have that elusive first World Cup victory, but they went home Friday with a point, and that meant something. Canada entered the match as the heavy favorite.

But Bosnia is OK playing the underdog, coach Sergej Barbarez said a day before playing Canada. Bosnia gears up for a swing through the United States, Los Angeles (vs. Switzerland) and Seattle (against Qatar), for its final two group stage matches.

“For sure, we are sort of an underdog in many of the matches ahead," Barbarez said of his country with a population slightly north of 3 million. "But if you look at the previous 20 or so games there were only two teams that were ranked lower than us, and if you know our results, I think you have to just admire what we have achieved.

“We play with our hearts, and that has been our advantage so far, but we should not underestimate the hearts of the Canadians."

Nobody – on the pitch, in the stands or around town – underestimated one another. And that combined "heart" made for an unforgettable afternoon, from Bosnia to America ... to Canada.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bosnia's World Cup song 'Take Me To America' is ultimate rallying cry

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