Live coverage and text updates as USA play Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32 knockout stage in San Francisco.
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Christian Pulisic has indicated that he’s fit to play 90 minutes – or even 120 – against Bosnia.
Pulisic rates himself as recovered from the calf injury he sustained on June 12 against Paraguay when he exited at halftime of the team’s 4-1 victory. He missed a victory over Australia before returning to play 33 minutes as a reserve against Turkiye on June 25.
“I felt great in the last game,” Pulisic said on Tuesday. “I’m feeling good this week, and I’m definitely ready to go for tomorrow.”
Not wanting to make any assumptions, Pulisic said he was unsure if he would be in the starting lineup.
“We’ll get that figured out today, but I’m feeling really good,” Pulisic said.
Star midfielder Christian Pulisic could start for the USA after recovering from a calf injury, while third-choice goalkeeper Cristian Roldan is doubtful with a muscle injury.
No injuries are reported in the Bosnia camp.
A year ago, not even the famously bold Zlatan Ibrahimovic believed that the US could contend for the World Cup title. His view changed after the cohosts won their first two games to clinch top spot in Group D less than 10 days into the tournament.
“If you didn’t believe before, I will repeat: start believing,” Ibrahimovic said on a recent television broadcast.
Ibra – as the Swedish football icon is known – and the USA were handed a reality check in a 3-2 loss to Turkiye on Thursday night in Inglewood, California. However, the result did little to dampen the team’s enthusiasm.
Last June, though, USA were in the midst of a four-game losing streak that included a 2-1 defeat to Turkiye in front of a predominantly Turkish crowd of 34,023 in East Hartford, Connecticut. While USA still cannot defeat the Turks, they did not face any problems against Paraguay and Australia, winning their first two World Cup matches for the first time since 1930.
So, what changed?
Read: American dream or reality check? Bosnia to test USA World Cup credentials
Videos from a Bosnian football fan account show fans walking across the Golden Gate Bridge towards San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
We have arrived at the Golden Gate!🇧🇦⚜️ #FIFAWorldCup #BIHUSA🇧🇦🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/RT7kRNYCc4
— Bosnian Football (@BosniaNTBall) July 1, 2026
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Bosnian fans say that history has informed their strong support for Palestine, especially amid Israel’s genocide in Gaza. More than 70,000 people, a majority of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
“Many Bosnians see images of Palestinian civilians’ suffering that remind them of their own past,” Ildaj Husovic, who manages an Instagram account showcasing the connection between Bosnia and Palestine, told Al Jazeera in a message.
“The fans are using this opportunity to draw the world’s attention to the suffering of the people in Palestine, which they believe should be a top priority for the international community in this moment,” Ildaj added.
“We can obviously relate to what they’re going through, because our country went through it as well,” said Graco, standing outside of a restaurant in Santa Clara.
“We want to see justice for Palestine and for the violence to end. It isn’t in the news as much now, but we want to remind people that the Palestinians are still living through this every day.”
Ermin Mahmic has been Bosnia’s leading scorer at the tournament with two goals off the bench, while American-born winger Esmir Bajraktarevic is also a player to watch out for.
Bosnia are captained by 40-year-old striker Edin Dzeko, widely regarded as the greatest player in the nation’s history, and are a goal threat up front with physical forward Ermedin Demirovic leading the line. Goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj has been another key figure for Bosnia, playing an important role in qualifying and in penalty shootouts.
The USA will be seeking to score first for a fourth consecutive World Cup match, hoping to ignite a home crowd behind an attack led by Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun. Should they beat Bosnia, it would be only the second USA World Cup knockout win ever, after a 2-0 victory over Mexico in 2002.
“I am from Bosnia; take me to America.”
Today, the opening lines from Bosnian band Dubioza Kolektiv’s now-viral classic “USA” will be more than just a catchy chorus.
Having punched their ticket to the tournament via a gruelling playoff, the Bosnian team carries the hopes of millions back home, who waited 12 years to watch their country on the sport’s biggest stage.
The USA are clear favourites in this fixture, but with huge expectations and pressure mounting on the cohosts to deliver in front of their home crowd. Bosnia know an upset will be difficult but not impossible and are bolstered by the knowledge that another underdog nation has already knocked out the favourite in this round.
It’s been a great World Cup for the cohost nations so far, with both Canada and Mexico advancing to the Round of 16.
For Canada, it was a historic day in Los Angeles on Sunday, when they defeated South Africa 1-0 to enter the knockouts.
And in Mexico, it was a night of celebration and revelry as the Latin American nation continued its stunning run in the tournament with their fourth consecutive win at home.
The attention turns to the USA now as they look to meet the expectations of the home support in San Francisco.
Will they join Canada and Mexico in the next round? We’ll know before the end of the night in the host country.
Hello, welcome and thanks for joining our live coverage of the FIFA World Cup Round of 32.
We’re at the win-or-go-home stage of the tournament, and eight teams have already packed their bags.
Two of the three World Cup cohosts are through to the next round, and it’s now down to the United States (USA), who face Bosnia and Herzegovina in their first knockout match.
The San Francisco Bay Area Stadium hosts tonight’s fixture, with kickoff scheduled for 5pm local time (00:00 GMT on Thursday).
I’m Hafsa Adil, bringing you all the key updates and talking points as we build up to kickoff with news from the tournament, both camps, and results from earlier matches.
Rohan Sharma will join us for team news, formations, and live text commentary of the action.
Stay with Al Jazeera Sport as we bring you all the action from the FIFA World Cup 2026.
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