The USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina have confirmed their starting teams for their last-32 tie at the World Cup 2026 in San Francisco on Thursday.
The co-hosts beat Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0 to win Group D before losing 3-2 to a 98th-minute goal by eliminated Turkiye.
European play-off winners, Sergej Barbarez’s side drew 1-1 with Canada, lost 4-1 to Switzerland and beat Qatar 3-1, going through as one of the best third-placed teams.
The victors will face the winners of Belgium vs Senegal in the last 16 in Seattle on July 7 (01:00 BST).
Giving the Red, White and Blue the Red and Gold welcome 🤝@USMNT | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/Em4zti0T8Y
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) July 1, 2026
World Cup 2026: USA confirmed team vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
United States make 10 changes from the XI that began their final group game against Turkey, which was a dead rubber for Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Weston McKennie is the only player from that team to retain his place, with Pochettino reverting to the XI that started the tournament with a 4-1 win over Paraguay.
Christian Pulisic returns to the starting XI for the first time since the USA’s opener.
USA starting XI: Freese; Freeman, Richards, Ream, A. Robinson; Tillman, Adams; Dest, McKennie, Pulisic; Balogun.
USMNT substitutes: Turner, Brady, Trusty, M. Robinson, Arfsten, Scally, Reyna, Berhalter, Pepi, Aaronson, Wright, Weah, Zendejas.
World Cup 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina full line up vs USMNT
Bosnia make three changes from the XI that started their win over Qatar.
Tarik Muharemovic, Amar Dedic and Armin Gigovic come into the side, with Arjan Malic, Ivan Basic, Esmir Bajraktarevic dropping to the bench.
Bosnia and Herzegovina starting XI: Vasilj; Katic, Radeljic, Muharemovic; Dedic, Gigovic, Sunjic, Kolasinac; Alajbegovic; Dzeko, Demirovic.
Bosnia and Herzegovina substitutes: Jurkas, Zlomislic, Mujakic, Hadzikadunic, Malic, Tahirovic, Basic, Memic, Hadziahmetovic, Burnic, Mahmic, Bazdar, Bajraktarevic, Tabakovic, Lukic.
Where to watch USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: TV channel, live online streams
Kick-off on Thursday is at 01:00 BST (20:00 ET / 17:00 PT). In the UK, live coverage is on ITV1.
Fans can stream the action via ITV’s website and ITVX app, which is available on a vast variety of devices for viewing on the go.
USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: World Cup 2026 stats
- The USA are playing a World Cup knockout match on home soil for the second time, having met Brazil in the last 16 when the USMNT were the sole hosts of the competition in 1994
- They lost 1-0 on that occasion, playing much of the second half with 10 players in Stanford, California and failing to have an attempt on target throughout
- Having beaten Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0 to win their group with a game to spare, the USA have won consecutive World Cup matches for the first time since the 1930 edition
- Across their eight World Cup knockout-stage matches, the USA have lost seven times and conceded 22 goals. Their victory came against Mexico in the 2002 round of 16, winning 2-0 through goals from Brian McBride and Landon Donovan
- The Stars and Stripes are unbeaten in the three editions of this fixture (W2 D1) – all in friendlies, from 2013 to 2021 – but have won one of their last 21 World Cup meetings with European nations (D7 L13) and are winless in their last 13 such matches (D6 L7) since a 3-2 victory over Portugal in 2002
- Bosnia and Herzegovina have never kept a clean sheet in their six World Cup matches; no side has ever played more at the finals without one
- They have the tallest squad at the tournament, with an average height of 6ft 1in, and have scored three goals from corners, which is the most by a team at a single edition since England netted four by the method in 2018
- In their 3-1 win over Qatar to seal their place in the knockout stage, Bosnia and Herzegovina finished on an expected goals total of 0.68
- Esmir Bajraktarevic was born in the US in 2004 after his family emigrated, having fled the Bosnian War. The winger decided to represent his parents’ birthplace despite receiving his first international cap for USA in a 2024 friendly against Slovenia
- Ermin Mahmic has scored from the bench in his two appearances at these finals and with both of his attempts
