Bosnia and Herzegovina’s recent 3-1 victory over Qatar in Seattle has significantly improved their chances of reaching the last 32 of the World Cup. This win could lead to a meeting with the United States in San Francisco on July 1. With both teams aware that a loss would mean elimination, Bosnia’s success in this match was critical. Kerim Alajbegovic started the scoring with an impressive first-half goal. The lead extended when Qatar’s Sultan Al-Brake accidentally turned the ball into his own net. Though Hassan Al-Haydos gave Qatar a glimmer of hope, Ermin Mahmic sealed the win for Bosnia. The Athletic predicts a 99% chance of Bosnia advancing as one of the best third-placed teams. This would likely result in a matchup against the USMNT.
In other Group B action, Switzerland defeated co-hosts Canada 2-1 to secure the group win. With this loss, Canada missed the opportunity to stay in their home country for the next round. The impressive performance of Kerim Alajbegovic, who scored the game’s opening goal, continues to draw attention. Despite his youth, Alajbegovic, only 18, is already making waves in the football world. Following his impressive performances at Red Bull Salzburg, Bayer Leverkusen exercised a buy-back clause. His skill was on display against Qatar, where he maneuvered past defenders and executed a spectacular long-range shot.
If Bosnia faces the USMNT in the knockout stage, they will bring experience from earlier matches, including a draw with Canada in their opening game. However, the USMNT poses a different level of challenge compared to Qatar. Bosnia’s Esmir Bajraktarevic, born in Wisconsin, could have a significant impact. He played for the U.S. before switching allegiances in 2024. The U.S. team will need to focus on countering his skill, along with Alajbegovic’s abilities, to ensure their success against Bosnia.
Qatar, on the other hand, experiences another group stage exit. Despite hosting the World Cup in 2022 and participating again, they remain unable to progress beyond the group. This time, they managed a draw with Switzerland, earning their first World Cup point. While Qatar has seen some progress since launching the Qatar Stars League in 2003 and winning the 2019 Asian Cup, developing talent to compete at the highest level will take further time and investment.
The conclusion of Group B sees Bosnia poised to advance, expectedly against the USMNT on July 1. Canada, displaced from Vancouver, will head to Los Angeles for a likely match against South Korea. Switzerland’s group win positions them for a game in Vancouver against potential opponents Algeria, Iran, or Egypt. Qatar finishes at the group bottom with one point.