Story by
Why Esmir Bajraktarevic plays for Bosnia despite being born in United States as 'Milwaukee Messi'
- Story by
- Why Esmir Bajraktarevic plays for Bosnia despite being born in United States as 'Milwaukee Messi'
Why Esmir Bajraktarevic plays for Bosnia despite being born in United States as 'Milwaukee Messi' originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
A young man who some dubbed the "Milwaukee Messi " when he was growing up in the state of Wisconsin will try to knock off the United States on Wednesday night during the 2026 FIFA World Cup .
Advertisement
Esmir Bajraktarevic is 21 years old, and he plays for Bosnia and Herzegovina despite being born in the U.S.
Bosnia takes on the USMNT on Wednesday night in the World Cup Round of 32. One side advances, and the other goes home.
Bajraktarevic scored the penalty kick that sent Bosnia to the World Cup over Italy , so he can handle himself in big moments. He's going to have to on Wednesday night.
MORE: Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo usage makes no sense
Why does Esmir Bajraktarevic play for Bosnia, not USA?
Bajraktarevic actually chose the United States first.
He played at youth level for the U.S., then got a call-up for a senior friendly against Slovenia when he was just 18.
Advertisement
But less than a year after that, he switched his allegiance to his parents' homeland.
According to Yahoo Sports , "Family ties to the war-scarred country drew him. Bajraktarević's parents, Elmir and Emina, escaped their hometown, Srebrenica, during the 1995 Muslim genocide perpetrated by Serbian forces. Several relatives were killed. They became refugees in Switzerland before ending up in Appleton, Wisconsin, in 2001. Four years later, Esmir was born."
MORE: The greatest goal in Canada men's soccer history
He wants to represent everything that his family has been through.
"My parents lost a good part of their family," Bajraktarević told The Blazing Musket recently. "It's a tragedy and something I will never forget. Srebrenica is something I will never forget. It's a part of me and who I am. It's in my blood."
Advertisement
The United States will be hoping that Bajraktarevic doesn't end their World Cup. It'll be a landmark night for him regardless.
