The U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) will face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Round of 32 at the World Cup, with their opponent officially confirmed after Bosnia-Herzegovina's victory over Qatar and the USMNT's subsequent 3-2 loss to Turkey on Thursday night. The match is scheduled for next Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Santa Clara, with a place in the Round of 16 at stake.
This matchup presents the USMNT with a significant opportunity, marking their best chance to win a knockout game since their quarterfinal appearance in 2002. The team has not won a knockout stage match in 24 years, having been eliminated in the Round of 16 in 2010 (vs. Ghana), 2014 (vs. Belgium), and 2022 (vs. Netherlands). This is the first World Cup to feature a Round of 32.
Bosnia-Herzegovina enters the match as an underdog but has already achieved its best World Cup finish by reaching this stage. The team, led by Edin Džeko and Kerim Alajbegovic, secured their spot in the knockout rounds with a group stage record of one win, one draw, and one loss, including a victory over Qatar. This is only their second World Cup appearance since gaining independence.
USMNT player Sebastian Berhalter acknowledged the significance of the upcoming game, stating, “They’re a good team. A Round of 32, a do-or-die game. We’ll be ready. Hopefully we have all our supporters ready to go.”
Despite the upcoming crucial match, the USMNT recently played a 3-2 loss against Turkey on June 25, 2026. Sebastian Berhalter scored a goal in that match.
Player fitness and sharpness are not expected to be issues for the USMNT. Chris Richards, who was not expected to play against Turkey due to a yellow card, commented, “Fitness won’t be an issue. I don’t think sharpness will be either. Obviously it’s good to keep into some sort of rhythm.… I think we’ll be fine next game.” Cristian Roldan was sidelined for the Turkey match due to a quad injury sustained earlier in the week.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino noted the team's connection with the home crowd, comparing the atmosphere during the recent tournament to a previous, less-attended CONCACAF Nations League performance at SoFi Stadium. "When you connect, you connect," Pochettino said. "I think that connection was the most difficult to create. Now when you connect with fans, people are excited and our players, the team is so excited to play tomorrow here and feel the connection, because that’s a unique feeling and emotion."