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The United States will be facing one of their own in the round of 32.
USMNT faces Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1 in the first knockout round game, and on the opposite side of the Stars and Stripes is a player from the U.S.
Bosnia and Herzegovina features Esmir Bajraktarević, who is from Wisconsin. Fans will be sure to notice Bajraktarević, since it’s one of the few instances in which a U.S. born player will be trying to beat his home country. So what is there to know about Bajraktarević, and why does he play for Bosnia Herzegovina?
Bajraktarević is a 21-year-old from Appleton, Wisconsin, southwest of Green Bay.
Playing in the Milwaukee area in his teenage years, Bajraktarević’s play got him the nickname “Milwaukee Messi.” While there is no definitive reason for how he got the moniker, he picked it up while playing for SC Wave in the Milwuakee area.
He actually played for the U.S. first.
He represented USMNT at the youth level, and actually made his senior international debut in a friendly against Slovenia in January 2024. However, it didn't look like the U.S. team would be a viable path for him, so he decided to make the switch to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He is able to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina because his parents are from there. They escaped their hometown of Srebrenica during the 1995 Bosnian genocide, when some relatives were killed, according to Yahoo Sports. His parents Elmir and Emina were refugees in Switzerland before moving to the U.S. to Appleton, Wisconsin, in 2001.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina federation reached out to Bajraktarević in the summer of 2024, and he made his first appearance for the national team that same year in September.
Bajraktarević has already done plenty in two years with the senior team. He converted the game-winning score in a penalty shootout against Italy that clinched a World Cup berth for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He has played in every World Cup match so far. He started the opening draw against Canada, was a substitute in the loss to Switzerland and played all 90 minutes in the victory over Qatar, setting the stage for him to play against his homeland in the round of 32.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet Esmir Bajraktarević, the US-born player on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Continue reading...
USMNT faces Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday, July 1 in the first knockout round game, and on the opposite side of the Stars and Stripes is a player from the U.S.
Bosnia and Herzegovina features Esmir Bajraktarević, who is from Wisconsin. Fans will be sure to notice Bajraktarević, since it’s one of the few instances in which a U.S. born player will be trying to beat his home country. So what is there to know about Bajraktarević, and why does he play for Bosnia Herzegovina?
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Where is Esmir Bajraktarević from?
Bajraktarević is a 21-year-old from Appleton, Wisconsin, southwest of Green Bay.
Esmir Bajraktarević's nickname
Playing in the Milwaukee area in his teenage years, Bajraktarević’s play got him the nickname “Milwaukee Messi.” While there is no definitive reason for how he got the moniker, he picked it up while playing for SC Wave in the Milwuakee area.
Why does Esmir Bajraktarević play for Bosnia and Herzegovina, not USA?
He actually played for the U.S. first.
He represented USMNT at the youth level, and actually made his senior international debut in a friendly against Slovenia in January 2024. However, it didn't look like the U.S. team would be a viable path for him, so he decided to make the switch to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He is able to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina because his parents are from there. They escaped their hometown of Srebrenica during the 1995 Bosnian genocide, when some relatives were killed, according to Yahoo Sports. His parents Elmir and Emina were refugees in Switzerland before moving to the U.S. to Appleton, Wisconsin, in 2001.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina federation reached out to Bajraktarević in the summer of 2024, and he made his first appearance for the national team that same year in September.
Esmir Bajraktarevićs Bosnia and Herzegovina career
Bajraktarević has already done plenty in two years with the senior team. He converted the game-winning score in a penalty shootout against Italy that clinched a World Cup berth for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He has played in every World Cup match so far. He started the opening draw against Canada, was a substitute in the loss to Switzerland and played all 90 minutes in the victory over Qatar, setting the stage for him to play against his homeland in the round of 32.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Meet Esmir Bajraktarević, the US-born player on Bosnia and Herzegovina
Continue reading...
