2026 World Cup: 5 things to know about Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of the Round of 32 matchup vs. the USMNT

The Round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup is already off to a thrilling start, and on Wednesday, the United States men's national team will finally get their chance to join the fun. The USMNT will face off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara, California, for their first game of the knockout round. Bosnia and Herzegovina, while still a relative newcomer to the World Cup, has a history of gritty wins that could make for an unexpected challenge. Here are a few things to know about the team before the U.S. takes the field against the Zmajevi (the Dragons). 1. This is Bosnia and Herzegovina's second appearance in the World Cup, and first knockout appearance Bosnia and Herzegovina is situated in the Balkans, a region with a long history of violence and conflict. Once part of Yugoslavia, Bosnia and Herzegovina became an independent country in 1992. From there, the country also began to compete independently in FIFA competitions. Bosnia and Herzegovina made its first World Cup appearance in 2014, defeating Iran to get its first-ever tournament win. And now, with their return in 2026, the Zmajevi have exceeded expectations once again. A draw over host nation Canada and a dominant win against Qatar was enough to send Bosnia and Herzegovina through to the next round as a top third-place finishing squad. 2. Bosnia and Herzegovina's captain is the most-capped player in the nation's history Bosnia and Herzegovina are lead by captain Edin Džeko, a 40-year-old veteran forward who is also one of the most legendary players in the country's history. Džeko's first senior team appearance was back in 2007; he was on the roster for the country's only other World Cup appearance in 2014. Džeko has 150 caps and 73 goals for his country, and is celebrating his 20th year on the senior team by helping lead Bosnia and Herzegovina to the World Cup knockout round. "Getting here was never easy. It's still not when you're 40, and your back is screaming the next morning, and you have to reach for the painkillers again," Džeko wrote in a letter for the Players' Tribune earlier this month. "But when I walk out on the pitch, I still feel like a kid, like one of you, with butterflies in my stomach and stars in my eyes.” 3. Bosnia and Herzegovina has a history of hanging tough against favored opponents Getting to the World Cup is never easy, but it can be particularly difficult in a stacked UEFA field. The expanded 48-team World Cup field offered Bosnia and Herzegovina a chance to break through, but it took two penalty shootout wins in the qualifying playoff to make it in. In a semifinal against Wales, Džeko got an equalizer in the 86th minute, and the team won 4-2 in penalty kicks. That set up a final against Italy, which was desperately vying for a return to the tournament, but another late equalizer — this time in the 79th minute, from Haris Tabaković — sent the game to PKs again. Bosnia then won 4-1, sealing a win with a final penalty kick from 21-year-old American-born forward Esmir Bajraktarević (more on him later). Bosnia and Herzegovina celebrates beating Italy in the World Cup qualifiers with head coach Sergej Barbarez. Image Photo Agency via Getty Images And at this tournament, when opening the group stage against Canada in front of a Canadian home crowd in Vancouver, Bosnia didn't blink. Forward Jovo Lukić found the back of the net first to give Bosnia and Herzegovina the lead; it was Canada that had to force an equalizer to salvage a point against the Europeans. 4. One of the Bosnian mainstays has a USMNT cap For American fans, one of the players to watch on opposing squad is Esmir Bajraktarević, a 21-year-old forward who opted for the Bosnian team over the USMNT . Born in Appleton, Wisconsin, Bajraktarević is the child of Bosnian parents who fled to the States while escaping genocide in Srebrenica, their hometown. Bajraktarević then came up through the MLS youth system, first through the Chicago Fire and later the New England Revolution. He now plays for Netherlands club PSV, alongside USMNT players Sergiño Dest and Ricardo Pepi. As an American-born player, Bajraktarević had a chance to play for the United States — and did, recording a handful of appearance for the youth national teams. He even got a senior team cap in 2024 under Gregg Berhalter, but opted to switch to the Bosnian team in order to ensure his playing time. That choice appears to have paid off: Bajraktarević now has 19 caps with the team, starting in two of the group stage games and subbing on for the third. "He chose the other side, but hopefully he will ... regret [it] after Wednesday," Dest joked to reporters this week. 5. Bosnia and Herzegovina was the USMNT’s last win over a European team It's been nearly five long years since the USMNT beat a team from Europe, losing 10 straight matches against European opponents. In the run up to the World Cup, the U.S. lost friendlies to Germany, Portugal and Belgium; the third group stage match, against Türkiye, offered another chance to break that streak, but the USMNT's second-string lost 3-2 off a last-minute goal. But the last European opponent that the U.S. did beat, ironically, was Bosnia and Herzegovina. On Dec. 18, 2021, the Americans defeated the Zmajevi 1-0 in a friendly, off an 89th-minute goal from Cole Bassett. (It was the only international cap and international goal for Bassett.) That sets up a poetic chance for the USMNT to finally break the cycle against the last team they were able to best. Bosnia has proven to be a team to not underestimate, so it won't be easy, but it will offer the opportunity for the Stars and Stripes to put their best foot forward at home.