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USMNT plays Bosnia and Herzegovina in World Cup knockout : NPR
NPR • • general
Key Points:
- The U.S. men's national soccer team aims to secure its first World Cup knockout win since 2002 by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 at Levi's Stadium.
- Bosnia, ranked No. 64 by FIFA, qualified for the tournament after an upset playoff win over Italy and advanced to the knockout stage with a draw against Canada and a win over Qatar.
- The U.S. enters the match as favorites and expects to have a fully healthy starting lineup, including the return of star winger Christian Pulisic, who recovered from a calf injury.
- Bosnia features American-born winger Esmir Bajraktarević, who switched allegiance to Bosnia in 2024 and scored the decisive penalty that qualified Bosnia for the World Cup.
- This marks Bosnia's second World Cup appearance, having previously been eliminated in the group stage in 2014.
