USA beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0: FIFA World Cup 2026 – updates

USA book their place in the round of 16, where they will take on Belgium next.

Given how Belgium played today, despite the eventual 3-2 win over Senegal, they may fancy their chances.

We hope you enjoyed our coverage today, and from Hafsa Adil and me, Rohan Sharma, it’s goodbye.

The USA are bound for the next round! 🇺🇸#FIFAWorldCup

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 2, 2026

Our World Cup coverage continues into tomorrow, and we have some special matches in store for you.

First up, heavyweights Spain take on Austria, with the live page set to kick off at 16:00 GMT.

Following that, their Iberian neighbours, Portugal, take on Croatia, with that one beginning at 20:00 GMT.

🏟️ Si el Estadio de Los Ángeles es así de precioso vacío… 😍

📢 ¿Cómo va a estar para el España – Austria? #VamosEspaña | #CopaMundialFIFA pic.twitter.com/tj0e4tIEub

— Selección Española Masculina de Fútbol (@SEFutbol) July 2, 2026

Read the full match summary here.

Bosnian-American Amela Arnold watched the game with her family. While she believes the USA came out as the better team, she was happy to see Bosnia make it to the knockouts.

“I thought we did a great job. We did our best and got here, and that’s the best we could have asked for,” she said.

“We’re Bosnian-American, so it was a win-win.”

She quips that one day her eight-year-old son, Henry, will be able to choose between playing for either Bosnia or the USA.

Asked who he would prefer, he says Bosnia.

Julian Lagoy, 40, watched the game with his family and young daughters, all of whom sported USA shirts.

After holding on against Bosnia, he hopes the USA can take on Belgium next, and that the team’s success can help bolster the growing popularity of football in the host country.

“I thought Bosnia was really good, they beat Italy to qualify. So I’m surprised but happy we won. I thought after the red card they might come back, but we held on!” he said.

“Especially for a country where soccer isn’t the biggest sport, it’s exciting,” he added. “I hope it keeps becoming more popular.”

Asked about how the USA might fare against Belgium, he says home advantage will help.

“Belgium’s better on paper but anything can happen,” he said. “They have better players, but it’s our home.”

Hakil Dugal says that he’s glad to see the USA take what he feels is a well-deserved win.

“I think we dominated. It was unfortunate about the red card; there was no malice intended,” he said. “Bosnia’s a great team, but we used home-field advantage, and the US fully deserved to win.”

2006 – Folarin Balogun is the fourth player to score a goal and receive a red card in a FIFA World Cup knockout match:

🇺🇸Folarin Balogun – 2026 round of 32
🇫🇷Zinedine Zidane – 2006 final
🇧🇷Ronaldinho – 2002 quarter-final
🇧🇷Garrincha – 1962 semi-final

Company. pic.twitter.com/PKKLPY55Sq

— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) July 2, 2026

40 – Edin Dzeko (40 years, 106 days old) is the first outfield player 40-years-old or older to appear in a knockout match in the FIFA World Cup.

Presence. pic.twitter.com/PsXIbvGzgz

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 1, 2026

USA manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke with the host broadcaster after the match: “So proud. The players gave everything. We competed against a difficult team.

“The fans were amazing again today. It is amazing to live this experience.

“I said Malik [Tillman] is an unbelievable player – full of talent. He is doing a fantastic job. The whole team is doing a fantastic job.

“That is what we wanted from the beginning. [It is] not just about entertainment, but we want to be competitive.

“It was difficult when Balogun received the red card. That was the moment we had to be a team. The eyes of the players showed they were ready to fight.

“They are creating a legacy in this country. With these fans, anything is possible.”

USA forward Christian Pulisic shared his thoughts as well: “We had to dig deep for that one. The red card [for Folarin Balogun] – it was unfortunate.

“We said in the hydration break – this is what it takes to be a good team.

“That’s what he [Malik Tillman] does. He’s so good at those. To see it go in was amazing.”

TELL US HOW YOU FEELIN’ RIGHT NOW pic.twitter.com/Fbw4QXMKIi

— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) July 2, 2026

Sixteen-year-old Chase Smith from nearby Sacramento is happy to see the USA advance and says he feels optimistic about their chances against Belgium, who made a hard-fought comeback against Senegal earlier in the day.

“I think they’ll do well,” he said. “I think they’ll win.”

“It was a lot of mixed emotions,” he said of the match against Bosnia.

“There were some offsides. At first, it would look like they had scored; then they didn’t. But they came out on top.

Just about everything coming up the right side for the US before the first-half water sips. pic.twitter.com/uEY723e2FJ

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) July 2, 2026

The man has a type.

1-0 on Folarin Balogun’s third goal of the tournament. pic.twitter.com/sgQ2UX1cVR

— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) July 2, 2026

Team USA stepped up a gear in the second half to ensure they become the third and final cohost to secure progression into the round of 16.

Despite losing Balogun, who scored the opener in the 45th minute, to a dubious red, the side showed great courage to not only defend but also push for a second.

Tillman then converted from a golden free kick opportunity to ensure the USA spare any blushes.

Full-time: USA 2-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina 

Dream Strike. pic.twitter.com/tUrzLTgoYW

— U.S. Soccer Men’s National Team (@USMNT) July 2, 2026

USA book their place in the round of 16!

Full-time: USA 2-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina 

He gets on another run, this time on the right side.

As he approaches the box, he fizzes a shot towards the far post, but it is excruciatingly wide.

90+9 mins: USA 2-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina 

He gets space on the left side, outside the box.

The midfielder unleashes a low drive towards the far post, which forces Freese to act on it, but it just misses the upright.

90+8 mins: USA 2-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina 

Giovanni Reyna rushes on for McKennie, who is given a standing ovation.

90+6 mins: USA 2-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina 

They are not merely dawdling in these final minutes.

USA are showing plenty of courage to try and hold up possession and keep the ball.

90+5 mins: USA 2-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina