The USA will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the World Cup round of 32 on Wednesday 1 July, but one US-born citizen won’t be wearing the stars and stripes.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are the favoUrties to advance to the last 16 but won’t find it easy against the European nation.
Bosnia finished third in Group B, and in their ranks is one player that played for the USMNT at youth level.
Wisconsin-born Bosnia star set to play against USA
Esmir Bajraktarevic is rapidly emerging as one of Bosnia’s brightest talents, but has spent most of his life away from his nation.
After his parents escaped war-torn Bosnia in the 1990s, and spent some brief time in Switzerland, they eventually settled in Appleton, Wisconsin in 2001.
There, Esmir was born in 2004, and throughout his childhood, he grew up playing for the US at the various youth levels, even playing for them in the senior squad in a friendly against Slovenia in January 2024.
However, a call from Bosnia to come and play for them in 2024 arrived and hasn’t looked back since, with Emir Spahic, executive director of the Bosnian team, saying: “From the very first moment, everything moved in one direction – from the initial contact with him and his family. That is why he is here with us now.”
His move seemingly paid off as he scored the decisive penalty to send Bosnia to a first World Cup finals since 2014 against Wales.
Ricardo Pepi hopes to get one over PSV teammate Esmir Bajraktarevic
Two US stars that know Bajraktarevic well are Ricardo Pepi and Sergino Dest. All three play together at club level for PSV Eindhoven, where they were crowned champions of the Netherlands.
Pepi would usually be relying on service from the teenage winger but on this occasion, he and Dest hope that the ‘Milwaukee Messi’ lives to regret his decision to play for Bosnia instead of the USMNT.
“He chose the other side, but hopefully he will … regret [it] after Wednesday,” said Dest.
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