This is a win-or-go-home knockout clash at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California — and the stakes could not be higher for the United States on home soil. The USMNT won Group D convincingly, beating Paraguay 4–1 and Australia 2–0 in their first two matches, before resting most of their starters in a 3–2 defeat to Türkiye in a dead-rubber final group game. Bosnia and Herzegovina, meanwhile, made history simply by reaching this stage — qualifying as one of the eight best third-placed teams with four points in Group C after a dramatic comeback win over Qatar.
The last time the USMNT won a knockout game was in 2002 — so there is plenty on the line at Levi’s Stadium against an upstart European side. A victory tonight would be only the second World Cup knockout win in USMNT history. A defeat, on home soil, in front of the entire nation watching, would instantly become one of the most painful results in American football history.
Ranked No. 64 by FIFA ahead of the World Cup, the Bosnians fought their way into the tournament with an upset playoff win over Italy in March — then muscled their way through Group C to qualify as one of the best third-placed nations. This is Bosnia’s maiden appearance at the World Cup knockout stage, having gone out in the groups on their debut back in 2014.
Match Details
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Match | USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| Competition | FIFA World Cup 2026 – Round of 32 |
| Date | Wednesday, July 1, 2026 |
| Kick-off Time | 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT (USA) / 2:00 AM BST (UK, Thursday) |
| Venue | Levi’s Stadium (San Francisco Bay Area Stadium), Santa Clara, California |
FIFA World Cup 2026 Live Streaming Info
The match is available on FOX and FS1 in the US, ITV in the UK, Zee5 in India and SBS in Australia.
Live Streaming Info:
Will be live on Bein Sports 5
Live Score Info:
FIFA World Cup 2026: All matches on FlashScore have live scores.
USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Kick-off Times by Region:
| Region | Time |
|---|---|
| USA (ET) | 9:00 PM, Wednesday July 1 |
| UK (BST) | 2:00 AM, Thursday July 2 |
| India (IST) | 6:30 AM, Thursday July 2 |
| Australia (AEST) | 11:00 AM, Thursday July 2 |
| Pakistan (PKT) | 1:00 AM, Thursday July 2 |
Free Streaming Options:
- UK & Ireland: ITV1 / ITVX — completely free
- Australia: SBS On Demand — all 104 matches, completely free
- US Options: FOX/FS1 via Fubo TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream
- Spanish Language (US): Telemundo / Peacock
- Live Scores: FlashScore and FIFA.com for real-time updates
Key Storylines & Tactical Battles
Christian Pulisic — Time to Deliver: Pulisic has only played 77 minutes total during this World Cup. He masterfully contributed to the team’s first two goals against Paraguay, but was then forced to miss the next match against Australia with a calf injury. He came on in the second half against Türkiye and immediately lifted the quality of play. This is his moment. The knockout stage is exactly where the biggest players must step forward — and on this team, there is no bigger player than Pulisic.
Folarin Balogun — USA’s Golden Boot Contender: Balogun scored twice against Paraguay and caused the own-goal that gave USA the lead against Australia. He could join Bert Patenaude (four goals in 1930) and Landon Donovan (three in 2010) as the only players to score at least three goals in a single edition of the finals. His form coming into this knockout tie is the most exciting storyline in the entire USA camp.
Edin Dzeko — The 40-Year-Old Legend: Bosnia’s captain and greatest-ever player is 40 years old and still leading the line at a World Cup. Dzeko brings experience, physicality, aerial threat, and the ability to hold up play that gives Bosnia their entire attacking structure. He is the man the entire USA defence must account for at all times.
Bosnia’s Corner Kick Danger: Bosnia have the tallest squad at the entire tournament, with an average height of 6-foot-1, and they have made the most of that advantage — scoring three goals from corners. The last team to score more at a single edition was England in 2018 with four. Tyler Adams and Tim Ream must be absolutely alert at every set piece tonight.
Esmir Bajraktarevic — The American-Born Bosnian: Bajraktarević grew up speaking Bosnian at home and came up through MLS academies and US Soccer youth national teams, before formally switching his national team allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024. He scored the game-clinching penalty that sent Bosnia to the World Cup in their March upset of Italy — and after his kick found the net, he tore off his jersey and held up the back of it, with his family name across the top, to the fans and cameras. Tonight he plays against the country he grew up in. It does not get more dramatic than that.
USA’s European Problem: USA have won just one of their last 21 FIFA World Cup meetings with UEFA nations (D7 L13), and are winless in their last 13 (D6 L7) since a 3–2 victory over Portugal in 2002. Bosnia are a European side. That painful record hangs over everything tonight.
The Pressure of Being Host: Although this has been a terrific World Cup for the USA so far — winning their group with a match to spare — it instantly becomes the biggest failure in program history if this squad cannot beat the Bosnians. That is the brutal reality of knockout football on home soil.
Injury & Team News
USA: The likes of Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, and Chris Richards will return to the side for this game after being rested against Türkiye. Christian Pulisic has confirmed he is “feeling good” and is expected to start. The USMNT have no fresh injury concerns and arrive into this game as well-rested and as close to full strength as they have been all tournament.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosnia and Herzegovina receive a massive boost with 23-year-old centre-back Tarik Muharemovic returning from suspension, heavily stabilising a backline that looked exposed during the group stage. Théo Bongonda-style injury absences have not been declared, and Bosnia arrive with a largely fit and available squad. Muharemovic’s return is enormous — he was the player sent off against Switzerland, and Bosnia conceded three times after that red card.
Head-to-Head Record
This will be the fourth meeting between USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina, with the Stars and Stripes unbeaten in the first three (W2 D1) — all in friendlies from 2013 to 2021. However, none of those meetings were competitive fixtures at this level, so the head-to-head record carries limited significance heading into a knockout World Cup tie.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Meetings | 3 (all friendlies) |
| USA Wins | 2 |
| Bosnia Wins | 0 |
| Draws | 1 |
| First Competitive Meeting | Tonight — World Cup Round of 32 |
Team Analysis
USA
Mauricio Pochettino’s side won their group with 4–1 and 2–0 wins over Paraguay and Australia respectively in their first two games, which guaranteed that they would top the group. Pochettino made a raft of changes for an inconsequential third group game against Türkiye, which the USA lost 3–2 after Kaan Ayhan scored the winner with the last kick of the game.
The USMNT have won two consecutive World Cup games for the first time in almost a century — and they have scored the first goal in all three of their matches so far. That early goal habit must continue tonight. In a knockout game, going ahead first completely changes the dynamic of the match.
Strengths: Balogun’s clinical finishing and movement, Pulisic’s elite individual quality when fully fit, Tyler Adams controlling the midfield, Antonee Robinson’s attacking output from left-back, Pochettino’s fluid 4-2-3-1 system that creates overloads in wide areas.
Weaknesses: USA have lost seven of their eight World Cup knockout-stage matches, conceding 22 goals. The psychological weight of that record is real. Their defence also showed vulnerability against Türkiye when changes were made — Bosnia will have noted those gaps carefully.
Key Players: Christian Pulisic (captain, talisman), Folarin Balogun (2 goals, 1 goal involvement in 3 games), Tyler Adams (midfield anchor), Weston McKennie (box-to-box energy), Antonee Robinson (left-back, attack-minded).
Tactical Approach: 4-2-3-1 pressing system, Pulisic operating as the No. 10 linking play, Balogun as the clinical finisher, wide attackers cutting inside, Adams and McKennie winning the midfield battle, high press to force Bosnia into errors.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path to the knockouts has been a rollercoaster. They opened their Group C campaign with a resilient 1–1 draw against Canada, but were subsequently handed a reality check in a heavy 4–1 loss to Switzerland. Needing a result on the final matchday, Barbarez’s side showed immense character to come from behind and defeat Qatar 3–1, sealing a historic qualification with four points.
Bosnia-Herzegovina have never kept a clean sheet in their six FIFA World Cup matches — no side has ever played more at the finals without a single shutout. That is the single biggest concern for coach Barbarez tonight — his side’s inability to keep a clean sheet against anyone, at any point, in their entire World Cup history.
Strengths: Aerial dominance and set-piece threat (tallest squad in the tournament, 3 corner goals scored), Dzeko’s experience and physical hold-up play, Bajraktarevic and Alajbegovic providing pace and trickery on the wings, Demirovic’s clinical finishing ability as a second striker.
Weaknesses: Bosnia and Herzegovina made this World Cup on their ability to be strong defensively and effective on the counter-attack — but that went away for a while against the Swiss, and that game was also heavily influenced by the red card to Muharemovic. Without defensive discipline, their entire game plan falls apart. They have also never kept a clean sheet at a World Cup — a damning record against a USA attack in this form.
Key Players: Edin Dzeko (captain, 40-year-old legend, aerial threat), Esmir Bajraktarevic (pacy right winger, penalty hero vs Italy), Ermedin Demirovic (clinical second striker), Tarik Muharemovic (returning centre-back, defensive leader), Ibrahim Sehic or Nikola Vasilj (goalkeeper).
Tactical Approach: Desabre set up in a 5-3-2 against Portugal — similarly, Bosnia have used a 5-3-2 with wing-backs pushing forward, Dzeko and Demirovic as the strike pair, and Bajraktarevic and Alajbegovic as narrow supporting wingers who can exploit space in behind on the counter. Their first priority will be containing the USA attack before hitting on transitions.
Probable Starting Lineups
USA Probable XI (4-2-3-1): Matt Freese — Sergino Dest, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson — Tyler Adams, Gustavo Puerta — Jhon Arias, Christian Pulisic, Malik Tillman — Folarin Balogun
Bosnia and Herzegovina Probable XI (5-3-2 or 4-3-3): Nikola Vasilj — Sead Kolasinac, Ognjen Katic, Tarik Muharemovic, Amar Dedic — Esmir Bajraktarevic, Jasmin Tahirovic, Ivan Sunjic, Kerim Alajbegovic — Ermedin Demirovic, Edin Dzeko
Key Players to Watch
Christian Pulisic (USA): The AC Milan forward and USA captain is the player his entire nation is looking to tonight. He has only played 77 minutes at this World Cup due to injury, but every time he has been on the pitch, the quality of USA’s play has visibly improved. This is his World Cup moment — and everything suggests he will start and deliver.
Folarin Balogun (USA): The Arsenal-linked forward has been the surprise package of the entire tournament for the USMNT — two goals against Paraguay, a crucial involvement against Australia, and now the chance to become only the third American in history to score three goals at a single World Cup. Bosnia’s defence has never kept a clean sheet. Balogun knows it.
Edin Dzeko (Bosnia): At 40 years old, playing in a World Cup knockout game, leading his nation for what is almost certainly the last time on football’s biggest stage — Dzeko carries the entire weight of Bosnian football history on his shoulders tonight. His aerial ability, experience, and hold-up play will give USA’s centre-backs serious problems all evening.
Esmir Bajraktarevic (Bosnia): The young winger grew up in the USA, came through MLS academies, and chose Bosnia over the USMNT. Tonight he plays against the country that raised him. He is pacy, direct, and carries an emotional motivation that money cannot buy — USA’s right-sided defenders must be on high alert.
Tactical & Statistical Breakdown
| Aspect | USA | Bosnia and Herzegovina |
|---|---|---|
| FIFA Ranking | ~11th (Co-host) | 64th |
| Group Stage Record | W2 D0 L1 (7 goals scored) | W1 D1 L1 (4 points) |
| Style of Play | High press, possession, pace | Compact block, set pieces, counter |
| Key Threat | Pulisic + Balogun combination | Dzeko aerial, set-piece corners |
| Defensive Record | Conceded 5 in 3 games | Never kept a World Cup clean sheet |
| Set-Piece Danger | Moderate | Extremely high (tallest squad) |
| Win Probability | 67.5% | 14.3% |
| Progression Probability | 76.6% | — |
The Opta supercomputer views co-hosts USA as strong favourites, with a 67.5% chance of winning the game and a 76.6% chance of progressing via any method. The second-most likely result was a draw at 18.3%, followed by a Bosnia win which occurred in just 14.3% of simulations.
Match Context — The Weight of History
Tonight is not just about football. It is about what the US men’s national team represents in 2026 — a programme that has been building for decades, finally given the chance to prove itself on home soil in their own World Cup.
As hosts of the 1994 edition, they finished third in Group A and were handed a daunting challenge in the round of 16 — a meeting with eventual champions Brazil in Stanford, California. USA were the clear underdogs and fell to a 1–0 defeat despite playing against 10 men for the majority of the second half. That was 32 years ago. Tonight, they are the favourites — and that changes everything.
Bosnia and Herzegovina, meanwhile, are a nation of just 3.5 million people writing their own fairy tale. They shocked Italy in the playoffs to even get here. They battled back from behind to beat Qatar and qualify as one of the best third-placed teams. Their fans, their diaspora, and their community across the world are watching with pride. They have nothing to lose tonight — and that makes them dangerous.
Predicted Score: USA 2 – Bosnia and Herzegovina 0
The Stars and Stripes should win this game. They have a better lineup, a deeper bench, and will be playing at home. Blowing this would take some doing. Pulisic is fit, Balogun is in the form of his life, Adams controls the midfield, and the entire crowd at Levi’s Stadium will be behind them from the first whistle. Bosnia will make it physical, threaten from corners, and Bajraktarevic will cause problems on the right — but USA’s quality, fitness, and home advantage should see them through comfortably into the Round of 16.