A dream that began on the pitches of London has propelled local talent Jovan Ivanišević onto the international stage, culminating in a recent call-up to the Canadian men’s national soccer team. The 21-year-old defender made a brief return to his hometown on Monday, visiting the BMO Centre, a facility that played a pivotal role in his early soccer journey. Mayor Josh Morgan was on hand to offer his support. Ivanišević made his debut for Canada on Saturday, playing his first game with the team in a friendly match against Chile at Toronto’s BMO Field, which Canada secured a 1-0 victory. “It means everything,” Ivanišević shared, reflecting on the momentous occasion. “I think that’s the best thing you can do in sports is play for your country. And that I did that a few days ago was just a dream come true.” During his visit, Ivanišević and Mayor Morgan even engaged in a short, friendly scrimmage with some young players from the London Alliance Football Club system, the very club where Ivanišević honed his skills. “I played my whole life for Alliance in London,” Ivanišević recalled. “And then when I was around 17, I went to the Toronto FC Academy. I played there two seasons. And now these past three years I’ve been in Europe.” Ivanišević currently plays for FK Sarajevo in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He described the experience of playing in Europe as transformative. “How they feel about soccer is a completely different, different thing than how we do. So it’s great to just live in that environment.” FK Sarajevo is a storied club, founded on October 24, 1946. It was the most successful club from Bosnia and Herzegovina in Yugoslavia, securing two Yugoslav First League titles and finishing as runners-up twice. Today, it remains one of the most prominent members of the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The BMO Centre, which opened in 2011 as London’s first permanent indoor soccer facility, coincides with the time Ivanišević, then a young boy, was just launching into his soccer journey. He spent countless hours training within its walls. “Our intent all these years was to produce players who can play professional. Who can play for the national team. And Jovan is one of them,” said Tom Partalas, Founder/Operator of the BMO Centre. Mayor Morgan echoed this sentiment, highlighting the importance of local infrastructure. “When you have proper facilities and municipality, when you have a variety of different options for kids to play, learn, gain skills and then eventually become top-level athletes. That’s, you know, that’s really a foundation that the municipality can support.” Ivanišević attended elementary school at Blessed Kateri Catholic Elementary School and high school at Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School in London. He made his professional debut with Toronto FC II on May 1, 2023. His call-up to the senior national team came in September 2026, ahead of upcoming friendlies. Ivanišević is expected to be a key part of the 26-member national team roster for games against Peru this coming Saturday in Montreal and against the U.S. in Minnesota the following Tuesday.
