Bosnia Beats Qatar 3-1 to Reach Last 32, Likely Drawing USMNT

Q: Will an American-born player be the one to knock the United States out of its own World Cup?

Yes — if the likely bracket holds, an American-born player could realistically help eliminate the United States. Bosnia and Herzegovina is now overwhelmingly likely to be the U.S. opponent in the Round of 32 on July 1 in Santa Clara after beating Qatar 3-1. Bosnia’s progression as one of the best third-placed teams is above 99 percent, and the U.S. has already locked in the bracket slot that most likely points to Bosnia. The player who makes the question compelling is Esmir Bajraktarevic. He was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, represented U.S. youth teams and even made one senior appearance for the USMNT before switching to Bosnia in 2024. He is not a fringe figure: he scored the decisive penalty that sent Bosnia to the World Cup and has become a regular attacking option. That does not mean he is the most likely single player to decide the match. Bosnia also has veteran striker Edin Dzeko, while 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic arrives in form after his standout goal against Qatar. Bosnia is a dangerous, emotionally charged side with a strong diaspora presence in the United States, which could give the match a near-road atmosphere for the Americans. So the answer is yes in a very real sense: Bajraktarevic, an American-born winger now playing for Bosnia, is one of the clearest candidates to knock the U.S. out of its home World Cup — if Bosnia completes the expected matchup and then pulls the upset.

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 24

Bosnia and Herzegovina moved to the brink of the World Cup knockout stage with a 3-1 win over Qatar in Seattle, a result that eliminated Qatar and left Bosnia with a better than 99% chance of advancing.
Kerim Alajbegovic put Bosnia ahead with a long-range first-half strike, Sultan Al-Brake added an own goal, and Ermin Mahmic sealed the match late after Hassan Al-Haydos briefly pulled Qatar back into contention.
Group B had effectively become a knockout scenario for both teams, with victory likely enough to send Bosnia through as one of the eight best third-placed sides and toward a July 1 round-of-32 match in San Francisco.
Switzerland’s 2-1 win over co-hosts Canada settled the group above them, leaving Bosnia most likely to face the United States while Canada lost the chance to stay at home for the next round.