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Meet the ‘Milwaukee Messi’ who turned down USMNT for World Cup rivals
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- Meet the ‘Milwaukee Messi’ who turned down USMNT for World Cup rivals
Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images
Esmir Bajraktarevic has become the Wisconsin-born World Cup name the United States men's national team may regret losing after choosing Bosnia and Herzegovina over the country where he developed.
His route to the tournament has the kind of tension that makes an eligibility decision feel bigger with every new step in a player's career.
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For the USMNT, this is no longer just about a former prospect switching flags, because Bajraktarević is now producing the moments that make another country's World Cup story feel personal.
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Esmir Bajraktarevic turns Milwaukee Messi tag into Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup moment
The Sun reports that Bajraktarevic, nicknamed the "Milwaukee Messi," helped send Bosnia to the World Cup after a playoff shootout against Italy in Zenica.
The decisive moment came from the penalty spot, where he converted the kick that eliminated Italy and pushed Bosnia back onto the world stage.
Bajraktarevic was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, after his parents left Bosnia and built a new life in the United States.
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He grew up with Bosnian language, food, and soccer culture still shaping the family home, which made his international choice feel rooted rather than opportunistic.
That family background gives the penalty a deeper meaning than one successful kick in a shootout. Bajraktarevic has described the moment as one of the best feelings of his life, because the World Cup dream he once imagined as a child now has Bosnia's shirt attached to it.
Esmir Bajraktarevic gives USMNT a Bosnia and Herzegovina reminder before World Cup
The American angle matters because Bajraktarevic was already known inside the USMNT system when Bosnia moved for him.
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He played for US youth teams and earned a senior cap in 2024, before choosing Bosnia when the opportunity arrived.
His progress at club level has only made the decision more uncomfortable from an American perspective. Bajraktarevic recorded four goals and four assists in 28 Eredivisie appearances for PSV, including eight starts, during a title-winning campaign.
Bosnia's group with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland gives him a realistic chance to carry the story beyond qualification.
Bajraktarevic grew up in Wisconsin, but the World Cup will now present him as one of Bosnia's most compelling players and a talent the USMNT could not keep.
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