Story by
Bosnia and Herzegovina lineup vs USA: World Cup starting XI
- Story by
- Bosnia and Herzegovina lineup vs USA: World Cup starting XI
After a disappointing late-game collapse in a 4-1 loss to Switzerland on June 18 , Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez implored his squad that "life moves on and we will not whine now ."
Bosnia and Herzegovina responded brilliantly, defeating Qatar 3-1 to finish third in Group B. It later learned it would be one of the eight third-place finishers to reach the round of 32, marking the first time that Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced to the knockout stage of a World Cup .
Advertisement
Now, Bosnia has the chance to play spoiler as it faces one of the host nations, the United States , with a spot in the round of 16 on the line. The USMNT , it should be noted, has never defeated a European-based team in a World Cup knockout round match.
At Barbarez's disposal against the U.S. is forward Edin Džeko, a 40-year-old striker who's his country's all-time top scorer (73 goals) and leader in caps (150). Much of the pregame focus, however, might not be on Bosnia and Herzegovina's legendary striker, it will be on Esmir Bajraktarević . Bajraktarević, who was born in Appleton, Wisconsin , played in MLS for the New England Revolution and represented the U.S. at multiple youth levels. Despite that, Bajraktarević opted to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country where his parents were born.
Bosnia and Herzegovina starting lineup vs. USA
Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez has made full use of his 26-man World Cup roster, using 17 different players in his starting XI and 21 total through three matches.
Advertisement
Against the U.S., Barbarez is rolling out a 5-2-3 formation. For midfielder Armin Gigović, this is his first start during the 2026 World Cup.
-
Goalkeeper: Nikola Vasilj
-
Defenders: Tarik Muharemović , Sead Kolašinac, Amar Dedić , Nikola Katić, Stjepan Radeljić
-
Midfielders:Armin Gigović, Ivan Šunjić
-
Forwards:Ermedin Demirović, Edin Džeko, Kerim Alajbegović
Where to watch Bosnia and Herzegovina vs USA World Cup round of 32 game: TV, live streaming
The Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. USA round of 32 match on July 1 will be broadcast nationally on FOX, with Spanish-language coverage available via Telemundo. The game can be live streamed through FOX One, Peacock (Spanish-language) and Fubo .
-
Date: Wednesday, July 1
-
Time: 8 p.m. ET
-
TV: FOX, Telemundo
-
Location: Levi's Stadium (Santa Clara, California)
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026 World Cup roster
Goalkeepers:Nikola Vasilj ( FC St. Pauli ), Martin Zlomislić (HNK Rijeka), Mladen Jurkas (Borac Banja Luka)
Advertisement
Defenders:Sead Kolašinac ( Atalanta BC ), Amar Dedić (SL Benfica), Nihad Mujakić (Gaziantep FK), Nikola Katić (Schalke 04), Tarik Muharemović (US Sassuolo), Stjepan Radeljić (HNK Rijeka), Dennis Hadžikadunić (UC Sampdoria), Arjan Malić (Sturm Graz)
Midfielders:Amir Hadžiahmetović (Hull City), Ivan Šunjić (Pafos FC), Ivan Bašić (FC Astana), Dženis Burnić (Karlsruher SC), Ermin Mahmić (FC Slovan Liberec), Benjamin Tahirović (Bröndby IF), Amar Memić (FC Viktoria Plzen), Armin Gigović (BSC Young Boys)
Forwards:Kerim Alajbegović (RB Salzburg), Esmir Bajraktarević (PSV Eindhoven), Ermedin Demirović ( VfB Stuttgart ), Jovo Lukić (FC Universitatea Cluj), Samed Baždar (Jagiellonia Białystok), Haris Tabaković ( Borussia Mönchengladbach ), Edin Džeko (Schalke 04)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bosnia and Herzegovina lineup vs USA: World Cup starting XI
