The United States will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, July 1, at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Santa Clara. Kickoff is at 5pm local time (00:00 GMT Thursday).

Bosnia and Herzegovina are making their first-ever appearance in the World Cup knockout stage. They qualified via a playoff, famously eliminating four-time world champions Italy. The Bosnian team carries the hopes of a nation that waited 12 years to see their team on the global stage.

The USA topped Group D with six points, while Bosnia finished third in Group B with four points, advancing as one of the best third-placed teams. Bosnia's defense has been a concern: they have never kept a clean sheet in six World Cup matches, the most by any team without one.

Bosnia is the tallest team in the tournament (average height 1.85m) and has scored three goals from corners. USA captain Tim Ream acknowledged Bosnia's quality, saying, "We have to expect the unexpected." Key players for Bosnia include top scorer Ermin Mahmic (2 goals), winger Esmir Bajraktarevic, and captain Edin Dzeko (40). The USA relies on Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun.

According to Opta's supercomputer, the USA has a 67.5% chance of winning, with a draw at 18.3% and a Bosnia win at 14.3%. The winner will face Belgium or Senegal in the last 16. The USA has won only one of its last 21 World Cup matches against European teams.

Source: www.aljazeera.com