USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina prediction, tips and odds | World Cup 2026

World Cup 2026 co-hosts USA take on Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, kicking off in the early hours of Thursday 2 July (01:00 UK time) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. Mauricio Pochettino's USA topped Group D with six points, winning their first two matches convincingly before rotating the squad in the final round.

Sergej Barbarez's Bosnia and Herzegovina are competing in the knockout stage of a World Cup for the first time in their history, and after qualifying from Group B as one of the best third placed teams – picking up four points courtesy of a draw with Canada (1-1), a defeat to Switzerland (4-1) and a win over Qatar (3-1) – they are considered the underdogs according to the World Cup bookies, who have the USA as clear favourites to progress.

Match Preview: USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

The USA arrive for this clash with the confidence of a side that dominated their group, and the 4-1 win over Paraguay in the Stars and Stripes' opener was a statement triumph that set the tone.

A 2-0 win over Australia in Seattle followed in round two, and after sealing qualification with a game to spare, Pochettino was able to manage his squad, resting key players in the final fixture.

The 3-2 defeat to Turkey on matchday three did not affect the USA's place in the standings, but it did expose the limits of their squad depth, and raised questions about their ability to see out a game considering the co-hosts opened the scoring.

Folarin Balogun is the nation's biggest threat and he leads the line having netted twice in the opening match against Paraguay, a feat that marked the first time a player from the USA scored multiple goals in a World Cup game since 1930.

Christian Pulisic is the USA's talisman, and while he picked up a calf issue in the group stage, he is expected to start for the first time since the opening match – the Milan forward's return significantly widens Pochettino's creative options in the final third.

The USA have shortened in the betting markets since their progression from Group D, and several brand new betting sites have launched competitive World Cup promotions ahead of the knockout rounds.

Bosnia and Herzegovina reached this World Cup the hard way: Barbarez's side knocked out Wales and Italy on penalties during the European play-offs, showing real character in the biggest moments.

In Group B, a 1-1 draw with Canada in the opener confirmed Bosnia's ability to compete, but the heavy 4-1 defeat to Switzerland exposed just how quickly things can go wrong – Tarik Muharemovic was sent off in the 80th minute of that match, and the Dragons conceded three goals after the red card.

A 3-1 win over Qatar in the final round, earned by a screamer from 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic, an own goal forced by Edin Dzeko, and a deflected strike from Ermin Mahmic, secured qualification on four points, though Bosnia's defensive frailty remains a concern heading into the knockout stage.

Former Manchester City striker Dzeko, at 40 years old, continues to lead this side with 150 caps and 73 goals, and the Bosnia captain has scored in every year since his debut back in 2007, a record that underlines his longevity at international level.

Team News and Predicted XIs: USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

USA

Pochettino is expected to return to the starting eleven that beat Paraguay and Australia, and the four players rested against Turkey due to suspension risk (Tyler Adams, Folarin Balogun, Chris Richards and Antonee Robinson) are all available.

Christian Pulisic has trained normally over the past few days and is set to start, while Mark McKenzie is rated as a minor doubt with a foot issue and could feature from the bench.

Elsewhere, Cristian Roldan has returned to partial pitch training but remains a significant doubt, much like Auston Trusty, who is following a modified schedule combining pitch and gym work as he steps up his recovery from an ankle injury.

Weston McKennie provides a physical presence in the centre of the park for the USA, and the Juventus midfielder should make the XI once again with Tyler Adams and Malik Tillman behind him.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Amar Dedic has returned to training and could feature, though the versatile Amar Memic will stand in at right back should the Benfica star not be passed fit in time.

Tarik Muharemovic, sent off against Switzerland, served his suspension in the final group game against Qatar and is available for this match, so expect the Sassuolo defender to return to the starting eleven.

Young winger Esmir Bajraktarevic, 21, born in Appleton, Wisconsin, is one of the more intriguing figures in this Bosnia squad, and though he has yet to score at this summer's World Cup, the PSV Eindhoven forward proved his mettle by converting the decisive penalty against Italy in the play-offs.

Predicted USA XI (4-2-3-1): M Freese; A Robinson, C Richards, T Ream, A Freeman; T Adams, M Tillman; C Pulisic, W McKennie, S Dest; F Balogun

Predicted Bosnia and Herzegovina XI (4-4-2): N Vasilj; A Memic, N Katic, T Muharemovic, S Kolasinac; K Alajbegovic, I Sunjic, I Basic, E Bajraktarevic; E Demirovic, E Dzeko

Head to Head: USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

The USA and Bosnia and Herzegovina have met just three times in history, all of them international friendlies, meaning this will be the first showdown between the sides in a competitive fixture.

In August 2013, the USA came from behind to win 4-3 in Sarajevo thanks to a Jozy Altidore hat-trick, while the second meeting, in January 2018, finished goalless on American soil.

The most recent encounter came in December 2021, when Cole Bassett scored an 89th-minute winner to seal a 1-0 USA triumph.

Overall, the Stars and Stripes boast two wins and a draw, and have never been beaten by Bosnia and Herzegovina, but with only three previous meetings and none in a competitive context, the head-to-head record carries little weight here.

Tips and Prediction: USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina

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