Sabasports Match Preview
World Cup: United States vs Bosnia- Herzegovina
Kickoff Time: 2026-07-2 8:00 (HKT)
As the host nation, the United States delivered an impressive showing in the group stage, sealing top spot in their group after just the first two matches to advance to the Round of 32 in commanding fashion. Tactically, the US deploys a high-pressing 4-2-3-1 system that prioritises rapid transitions between attack and defence. Going forward, the US stretches opposing defensive blocks through brisk wide advances down both flanks. Christian Pulišić’s cutting-inside long-range shooting and Sergiño Dest’s explosive one-sided dribbling constantly trouble rival backlines, while centre-forward Folarin Balogun focuses on poaching goals inside the box. Additionally, midfield linchpin Weston McKennie surges forward to act as a sharp attacking outlet. Boasting exceptional recovery pace when tracking back, he covers the space left exposed by overlapping full-backs. Corners and set pieces also serve as reliable goalscoring avenues for the side. Notably, the squad’s average age stands at only 25; superior endurance, rapid recovery runs and sustained attacking intensity stand as their key strengths.
Bosnia and Herzegovina posted one win, one draw and one loss in the group stage, scraping through to the Round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams. Tactically, they adopt a counter-attacking 4-4-2 setup. The entire team drops deep to stifle central advances from opponents, packing the defensive zones to squeeze the space available for attacking play. In attack, Bosnia and Herzegovina lean heavily on 40-year-old veteran Edin Džeko, the nation’s all-time top scorer and the team’s sole consistent focal point. He wins over 60 per cent of his aerial duels, with every counter-attack and set-piece routine built around him. Defensively, the side relies on fellow seasoned campaigner Sead Kolasinac, whose leadership and defensive awareness anchor the entire back four. That said, Bosnia and Herzegovina suffer a critical flaw in their age profile. First-choice starters across every line are mostly veterans, who struggle to maintain high-intensity combat for the full 90 minutes. A drop-off in fitness during the second half would severely undermine the team’s attacking and defensive performances alike.
The United States outclass Bosnia and Herzegovina by a clear margin in both overall squad quality and group-stage form. Furthermore, the Americans’ tactical approach is inherently well-suited to exploit Bosnia’s ageing, slow defensive line. For these reasons, the youthful, dynamic United States are tipped to defeat Bosnia and Herzegovina in this fixture.
USA ‘s Last 5 Games: LWWLW
26-06-26 Turkey 3-2 USA
26-06-20 USA 2-0 Australia
26-06-13 USA 4-1 Paraguay
26-06-07 USA 1-2 Germany
26-06-01 USA 3-2 Senegal
Bosnia–Herzegovina ‘s Last 5 Games: WLDDD
26-06-25 Bosnia–Herzegovina 3-1 Qatar
26-06-19 Switzerland 4-1 Bosnia–Herzegovina
26-06-13 Canada 1-1 Bosnia–Herzegovina
26-06-07 Panama 1-1 Bosnia–Herzegovina
26-05-30 Bosnia –Herzegovina 0-0 North Macedonia
Head-to-Head Records
21-12-19 USA 1-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
18-01-29 USA 0-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina
13-08-15 Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-4 USA
Prediction: Home win for the United States