Bosnia take huge step towards USMNT knockout tie, Qatar out. Was this Alajbegovic’s breakout moment?
Bosnia and Herzegovina took a huge step towards reaching the last 32 of the World Cup and a probable meeting with the United States by beating Qatar 3-1 in Seattle — but they must now wait for confirmation about what comes next.
This match was akin to a knockout tie itself, with both teams knowing a win would likely take them through from Group B, but a defeat would mean certain elimination.
Bosnia led through a sensational first-half strike from Kerim Alajbegovic, one of Europe’s most exciting young players.
They soon doubled their advantage when Sultan Al-Brake turned the ball into his own net.
Hassan Al-Haydos prodded in to give Qatar hope but Bosnia were the superior side and Ermin Mahmic scored late on to make certain of a victory that looks highly likely to pit them against the United States in San Francisco on July 1.
The wait for certainty on their last-32 fate should not be a particularly nervy one — The Athletic’s forecasting model gives them a greater than 99 per cent chance of progressing as one of the eight best third-placed teams, with the same likelihood that they will meet the USMNT.
Elsewhere, Switzerland beat c0-hosts Canada 2-1 to win Group B, meaning the Canadians miss out on the chance to stay in their own country in the next round.
Did Alajbegovic just show why he is rated so highly?
Kerim Alajbegovic scored the game’s opening goal from long range (Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)
Seattle’s authorities estimated that 30,000 Bosnians have been in the city over the past few days and many of them were wearing the same shirts.
While Edin Dzeko is still popular at the age of 40, he now has competition from emerging talents.
The 21-year-old American-born Esmir Bajraktarevic is one of them but even younger is Kerim Alajbegovic, who is only 18.
A mix of age ranges had followed Bosnia to Washington but the youngest category of fans certainly seem more interested in Alajbegovic, who was born in Cologne, Germany, and only made his professional debut at the start of the 2025-26 season.
Thirteen goals in 44 matches for Red Bull Salzburg prompted Bayer Leverkusen to trigger a buy-back clause in his contract, with sporting director Simon Rolfes admitting “he has exceeded our expectations in a very short space of time”.
He is right-footed but plays off the left and for a period in the first half here, Qatari defenders did not know what to do with him.
Mahmud Abunada, Qatar’s goalkeeper, had already proven that he was difficult to beat from distance with two early saves but that did not deter Alajbegovic from having a try.
When he received the ball following the first-half hydration break, he was surrounded by three players, but he was able to trick his way out of the situation before taking on another defender.
Though his touch took him slightly away from goal, Alajbegovic was able to send in a wonderful arcing shot that fizzed past Abunada.
It will be difficult to find a better individual goal at this tournament and Rolfes, surely, will be relieved that he decided to bring the player back to Germany in March.
Simon Hughes
Could Bosnia trouble the USMNT in the knockouts?
The good news for Bosnia, well, if they do face the USMNT in the round of 32, they already have the experience of facing a host in this tournament, and they secured a draw with Canada in their opening group game.
The bad news? Sorry Canada, you’ve had a fine result since that game in Toronto, but the United States will be a bigger test, and Bosnia were shaky against Qatar, a team that Canada subsequently thrashed.
Bosnia are not blessed with pace, especially through the middle of the pitch, where they nevertheless have plenty of experience.
Facing the U.S. would be an especially significant occasion for Bajraktarevic, who was born to Bosnian parents in Wisconsin and represented the U.S. at senior level before switching nationalities in 2024.
He is a very dangerous player but at least the U.S. should have a reasonable appreciation of how to stop him. If they get it right against him and Alajbegovic on the other side of the pitch, the hosts should be fine.
Simon Hughes
Were Qatar any better than four years ago?
It is a second consecutive World Cup in which Qatar have been knocked out at the group stage.
On the face of it, that doesn’t show much progress from four years ago, when they competed in the tournament for the first time because they were the hosts, but there are some small signs of hope for the small Gulf state.
Despite being on home turf in 2022, they lost all three games and scored just once, one of the worst performances by a host nation in World Cup history.
There were those who objected to Qatar being a host because of human rights issues, but FIFA’s stance was to take the global game’s showpiece event to a country without a rich football heritage in order to develop it. Critics will say it was more about money. Maybe both could be true.
Money has certainly played its part in the development of the sport in the oil-rich peninsula. When the Qatar FA decided to throw its weight behind what would become the Qatar Stars League in 2003, there were some big-name players who arrived, like Pep Guardiola, Ronald and Frank de Boer, Romario, Marcel Desailly and Gabriel Batistuta.
International stars can raise standards, as the English Premier League and Serie A have demonstrated, but they have also invested in the academy system to develop their own talent.
That has led to successes in recent years, like winning the 2019 Asian Cup.
Qualifying by right for an admittedly larger World Cup is also a step in the right direction. Claiming their first point, with a draw against Switzerland in the first group game, was a huge moment for them, but it will take many more years for Qatar to catch up with the more established football nations.
Rob Tanner
What does the conclusion of Group B mean for the knockouts?
Bosnia’s victory over Qatar may not have mathematically clinched their place in the last 32, but it is almost certain they will claim a third-placed spot and face the USMNT in the first knockout round in San Francisco on Wednesday, July 1. Though Bosnia have some experienced and quality players like Dzeko, the U.S. should believe they have a strong chance of progressing further.
For Canada, this defeat was damaging. They had all but qualified already beforehand yet, rather than ensure they remained in Vancouver for an additional four days’ rest, Jesse Marsch’s men will head to Los Angeles on Sunday and in all probability take on South Korea.
Switzerland’s triumph means they top the group and places them on the opposite side of the draw. They will once again play in Vancouver next Thursday (July 2), with Algeria, Iran or Egypt their most likely opponents.
Qatar, meanwhile, are eliminated after finishing bottom with a solitary point.
Chris Waugh