The United States men’s national soccer team is facing off against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first round of the knockout round at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Wednesday, July 1, at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in what is one of the biggest games in recent USMNT history.
So, ahead of Team USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, here’s a primer on the European nation that many might not know much about, or even have never heard of before the World Cup. The United States is the favorite to advance, but before the big game, some of your questions about the team’s World Cup opponent can be answered right here.
Why Is It Called Bosnia and Herzegovina? Country Info On Team USA’s World Cup Opponent
GettyBosnia and Herzegovina’s Kerim Alajbegovic celebrates after scoring during a soccer game between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar, on Wednesday 24 June 2026 in Seattle, the third and last day in the group stage, in group B of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States of America. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)
The first thing that stands out about Bosnia and Herzegovina is its name, which reflects two distinct regions in the Balkans that make up one country.
The Bosnia part, which the nation is commonly known as, comes from the Bosna river, which runs through the middle of the country. But, Bosnia represents the northern and central parts, while Herzegovina represents the southern region of the country. Each name dates back to the Ottoman Empire, and when the area gained independence after breaking away from Yugoslavia in 1992 to become their own country.
So, to answer any lingering questions, Bosnia and Herzegovina is one country, but is just represented by two distinct regions, which has been the case in the nation’s entire history since 1992.
So, before USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, here’s a bit more information about the country.
Bosnia sits in Southeast Europe, in the Balkans. It is between Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro. Bosnia only has roughly 12 miles of coastline on the Adriatic Sea, with just one town on what is known as the ‘Nuem Corridor,’ which is the second-smallest coastline of any country in the world.
Bosnia is not in the European Union, but became an official candidate in 2022 and had membership accession negotiations opened in 2024.
The nation uses the Bosnian Convertible Mark as its currency, which has a value of 1.71 BAM/KM per US Dollar as of the day of the game against the USA.
Bosnia’s capital is Sarajevo, which is most known for the site of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914, widely considered the starting point of World War I.
The country has a total population of about 3.1 million people. It’s a diverse country with Muslims and Christians, and is known for its unique landscape and coffee culture.
That’s a bit of a primer on the United States’ upcoming World Cup opponent, a nation many Americans might not know much about. USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina is the final World Cup game on Wednesday, July 1.
Bosnia World Cup History Before Playing Team USA
GettyBosnia and Herzegovina’s players celebrate after winning a soccer game between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar, on Wednesday 24 June 2026 in Seattle, the third and last day in the group stage, in group B of the FIFA World Cup 2026 in the United States of America. BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM (Photo by DIRK WAEM / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup history is short, as the nation is competing in the tournament in 2026 for only the second time ever as an independent country.
The first appearance came in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Bosnia lost to Argentina and Nigeria, but beat Iran, though they were still knocked out in the group stage, scoring and giving up four goals each.
Now in its second-ever World Cup, Bosnia and Herzegovina was placed in Group B with host nation Canada, Switzerland, and Qatar. The tournament campaign began with a 1-1 draw against Canada, before a 4-1 loss to Switzerland, and then beating Qatar 3-1. Bosnia finished third in the group, but was one of the top-eight third-place finishers, and was able to move on to the Round of 32, where the country now faces off against the United States.
While Team USA’s World Cup history isn’t anything compared to some of the other big nations at the tournament, the USMNT’s tournament success stands above that of Bosnia.
Still, in the knockout round, history doesn’t matter, as the small Balkan country has the chance to disappoint an entire nation and knock the United States out of the World Cup.
USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina kicks off on Wednesday, July 1, at 8 pm EST/5 pm PST, at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, live on FOX, FOX One, and Telemundo.
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