Published On 2/7/2026
The numerically deficient United States team reached the round of 16 in the 2026 World Cup, beating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday at Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco in the round of 32.
The United States national team qualified for a World Cup knockout round match for the second time in its history, after a 2-0 victory over Mexico in 2002. Before this match, the victory over Mexico was the only elimination match in which the American team advanced in the score or kept a clean sheet.
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This is the third victory for the American team in the current World Cup edition, and the largest number of victories it has achieved in a single edition of the tournament.
While the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team lost all four of its matches in the World Cup, in which it trailed in the result at any stage of the match.
This is only the third time that a CONCACAF team has won a regular-time elimination match (excluding penalty kicks) against a European opponent, joining Mexico (vs. Bulgaria) in 1986 and Cuba (vs. Romania) in 1938.
Balogun: a positive number and a negative number
Folarin Balogun scored his third goal in the 2026 World Cup, becoming the third player in the history of the USA national team to score three or more goals in one edition of the tournament, after Bert Patenaude (4 goals in 1930) and Landon Donovan (3 goals in 2010). Balogun also became the fourth player to score a goal and be sent off in a World Cup knockout match, after Zinedine Zidane (2006 final), Ronaldinho (quarter-final). 2002), Garrincha (1962 semi-final).
While Malik Tillman became the second player in the history of the United States national team (since 1966) to score a goal from a direct free kick in the World Cup, after Eric Wynalda against Switzerland in 1994.
The US national team has scored four goals from dead balls in the current World Cup, including Malik Tillman’s goal from a direct free kick tonight, which is the most goals from dead balls scored by any team in the tournament this year.
Weston McKennie made five defensive line-breaking passes against Bosnia and Herzegovina, bringing his tally to 13 such passes in the current World Cup, at least four more than any other player in the tournament.
At the age of 40 years and 106 days, Edin Dzeko became the first player (excluding goalkeepers) aged 40 or over to participate in a World Cup knockout match.
