USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina: what to know before the World Cup Round of 32

# USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina: Your No-Stress Guide to the Round of 32

In a nutshell

The host nation against a physical European underdog living its own dream. The USA won their group and now play in front of a huge home crowd in the Bay Area, powered by Christian Pulisic and in-form striker Folarin Balogun. Bosnia & Herzegovina reached the knockout stage for the first time ever, led out by 40-year-old legend Edin Džeko. The USA are favourites, but Bosnia's size and know-how make this trickier than it looks.

Who's playing, in one line each

USA — the *Stars and Stripes*, in navy: the co-hosts, young, fast and energetic under Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, roared on by a passionate home crowd.

Bosnia & Herzegovina — the *Dragons*, in yellow: a tall, physical, experienced European side at only their second-ever World Cup, captained by veteran goal machine Edin Džeko.

How they got here

The USA won Group D and reach the last 32 with real momentum, Balogun scoring twice in the win over Paraguay. Bosnia took the hard road: they finished third in a tough Group B (behind Switzerland and Canada, alongside Qatar) with four points, sneaking through as one of the eight best third-placed teams — enough for the first knockout appearance in their history. This is the Round of 32, a straight knockout: level after 90 minutes means extra time, and then a penalty shootout.

The probable lineups (and what they mean)

Think of a lineup as a team's *shape* — how many players defend, build, and attack.

USA line up 4-2-3-1 (four defenders, two holding midfielders, three creators, one striker). Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman screen the defence, freeing captain Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie and Sergiño Dest to support striker Folarin Balogun. It's a high-energy, pressing setup built to feed off the home crowd.

Bosnia line up 4-4-2 (four defenders, four midfielders, two strikers). Two banks of four make a compact, physical block, with the towering Nikola Katić and Sead Kolašinac at the back, and young wingers Esmir Bajraktarević and Kerim Alajbegović providing width for the veteran strike pair of Ermedin Demirović and Edin Džeko. Built to stay solid and dangerous from crosses and set pieces.

*Heads-up: these are predicted XIs based on the latest reporting. Coaches often tweak them an hour before kickoff, so treat them as the most likely starting point, not gospel. The USA go with Matt Freese in goal, and Pulisic — managing a calf issue in the group stage — is expected back near full fitness. Bosnia have Benfica's Amar Dedić as an option at full-back, and Haris Tabaković offers another aerial threat off the bench.*

What to expect (even if you've never watched soccer)

Expect the USA to press and attack with energy, and Bosnia to stay compact and physical. The USA will use the home crowd to push high up the pitch, hunt the ball, and spring Pulisic and Balogun into space. When Pulisic gets the ball on the left with room to run, that's the moment to watch — he's the USA's biggest match-winner.

Bosnia won't panic. They're big, experienced and organised, happy to soak up pressure, defend their box, and hurt the USA on the counter or — crucially — from crosses and set pieces, where Katić, Kolašinac and the 6-foot-4 Džeko are real aerial threats. The single question the match will answer: can the USA's pace and pressing overwhelm Bosnia — or will Bosnia's size and streetwise experience frustrate the hosts and steal it?

Players to watch

Christian Pulisic (USA, forward & captain, No. 10) — America's biggest star and creative leader, an AC Milan forward who scores and creates. When the USA need a spark, it usually comes from him.

Folarin Balogun (USA, striker, No. 20) — the Monaco striker in red-hot form, with two goals against Paraguay. Quick, direct and clinical, he's the USA's spearhead in front of goal.

Edin Džeko (Bosnia, striker & captain, No. 11) — a 40-year-old legend who came out of international retirement to lead his country. A former Manchester City title-winner, still a threat in the box and a talismanic leader.

Esmir Bajraktarević (Bosnia, winger, No. 20) — a young, exciting winger born in the United States who chose to represent Bosnia — a fascinating subplot as he faces the country of his birth.

The bottom line

The USA are favourites — quicker, deeper and lifted by a raucous home crowd, with genuine match-winners in Pulisic and Balogun. But Bosnia are exactly the kind of tall, physical, experienced side that can frustrate a favourite and punish one set piece, and in Džeko they have a big-game predator who has seen it all. The likeliest outcome is a USA win driven by the crowd, but if Bosnia keep it tight and aerial, this could turn nervy — even into extra time or penalties.

When and where to watch

Wednesday, July 1, 2026 — San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, Santa Clara, USA. Kickoff: 8:00 PM ET (USA) · 9:00 AM JST (Japan, Jul 2) · 9:00 AM KST (Korea, Jul 2).