Preview: USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina prediction, odds, where to watch, time | FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32

America’s golden generation eyes win over South Slavic nation to advance to Round of 16

San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi’s Stadium) in California, United States of America, gears up to host the Round of 32 fixtures of the FIFA World Cup 2026, where the hosts, the United States and Bosnia, lock horns in what is set to be a thrilling contest.

The Stars and Stripes are coming after topping Group D with wins over Paraguay and Australia in the fist two games. They were handed a defeat by Turkiye in the final group stage encounter where former Tottenham gaffer Mauricio Pochettino decided to rest some key players ahead of the knockout stages.

USA have regularly played in the knockout stages of the World Cup, and the Golden generation of American football would be keen to create history on home soil. So far, the American outfit has impressed, scoring 8 goals across three games and conceding 4, including 3 in the last game.

The South Slavic nation will play their first-ever knockout game in the FIFA World Cup. The Dragons boast the tallest squad in FIFA World Cup 2026, averaging 6 feet 1 inch. Sergej Barbarez’s side went on to defeat Italy in the European World Cup qualifiers to qualify for the 2026 edition after a wait of nearly 12 years.

Bosnia kick-started their campaign with a 1-1 draw against hosts Canada in the opening game. After succumbing to a defeat against Switzerland, the Bosnians went on to defeat reigning Asian champions, and four points seemed enough to qualify as one of the best third-ranked teams.

The winner of this fixture is set to face either of the 2026 AFCON finalists, Senegal, or the 2018 World Cup bronze medalists, Belgium, in the Round of 16 clash at Seattle Stadium.

The Round of 32 brings a fierce, knockout intensity where reputations matter less than 90 minutes of pure desire. The tournament enters a phase where absolute underdogs can stun football giants. Fans can expect a thrilling, high-stakes battle where any result is possible and either side has everything it takes to win.

Kick-off:

• Location: Santa Clara, California, USA
• Stadium: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium (Levi’s Stadium)
• Date: Wednesday, July 1
• Kick-off time: 1 a.m. BST, 5 p.m. local PDT [Thursday, July 2 at 5:30 a.m. IST]
• Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)
• VAR: In use

Form:

USA (in all competitions): L-W-W-L-W

Bosnia (in all competitions): W-L-D-D-D

Players to Watch

Sergino Dest (USA)

Born and raised in Almere, Netherlands, to a Surinamese-American father and a Dutch mother, Dest spent his initial years in Holland honing his skills at the prestigious Jong Ajax academy before making a move further to FC Barcelona and AC Milan.

The Eindhoven midfielder is a veteran of the 2022 campaign. His accelerated runs from the right flank will be key to setting up chances for Balogun upfront. He will be up against Sead Kolasinac, the Atalanta full back, who will have a tough time containing Dest.

Edin Dzeko (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The most-capped player and the all-time leading goalscorer in Bosnia & Herzegovina history, Dzeko survived the Bosnian war when he was young. The Bosnian legend has won several accolades and plied his trade with top clubs like Manchester City, Inter and Roma before making a move to Schalke 04 recently.

It was back in 2013 when these two sides met for the first time in a friendly fixture, and Dzeko scored a brace for Bosnia that went in a losing cause as the USA won the game 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller. He also remains the leading goalscorer for Bosnia against the States.

Match Facts

• These two sides will lock horns for the first time in any competitive fixture.
• USA won the game 1-0 when these two sides met last in 2021
• Jozy Altidore of USA is the leading goalscorer in this fixture.

USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina: Betting Tips and Odds

• USA to win the game – 2/5 with bet365
• Folarin Balogun to score – 7/5 with bet365
• USA 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina – 17/2 with bet365

Injury and Team News

Christian Roldan, Mark McKenzie and Auston Trusty seem unlikely to feature in the next game due to injury concerns. Balogun, who is linked to top European clubs, is set to be back in the starting eleven alongside Sergino Dest, Chris Richards, Antonee Robinson, Tyler Adams, Malik Tillman, Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie

Amar Dedic remains doubtul. Apart from that, they look strong and Tarik Muharemovic, who missed the Qatar game due to a red card is also expected to return to the starting eleven.

Head-to-Head

Total games: 03

USA won: 02

Bosnia won: 00

Matches drawn: 01

Predicted Lineups

USA predicted lineup (4-2-3-1)

Matt Freese (GK); Antonee Robinson, Chris Richards, Tim Ream, Sean Freeman; Malik Tillman, Tyler Adams; Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Sergiño Dest; Folarin Balogun

Bosnia and Herzegovina predicted lineup (4-4-2)

Nikola Vasilj (GK); Sead Kolašinac, Tarik Muharemovic, Nikola Katić, Amar Dedić; Kerim Alajbegović, Ivan Bašić, Mateo Sunjić, Esmir Bajraktarević; Ermedin Demirović, Edin Džeko

Match Prediction

After some big upsets in the final few games, this is the most difficult section to write. However, given the USA’s recent form and their home advantage, we expect them to get the better of the Dragons by a narrow margin with Monaco striker Balogun finding his name in the scoresheet.

Prediction: USA 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Telecast Details

India: Unite8 Sports Channels, ZEE5,

UK: BBC & ITV

USA: FOX Sports

Nigeria: DStv, GOtv

Full Broadcaster List here.

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