The United States men’s national team just did something it hadn’t done in 24 years. On July 1, the USMNT beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, securing only the second knockout-stage victory in program history.
What happened on the pitch
The match at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara was anything but routine. Folarin Balogun opened the scoring in the 45th minute, giving the US a lead heading into halftime.
Balogun received a red card in the 64th minute, leaving the Americans down to ten men for the final stretch. Malik Tillman buried a free kick in the 82nd minute to seal the 2-0 result. The US hadn’t won a knockout-stage match since 2002, and had lost 10 consecutive games against European opponents heading into this one.
The USMNT topped Group D with wins over Paraguay and Australia alongside a loss to Turkey. Next up: Belgium on July 6 at Lumen Field in Seattle, a rematch of the 2014 Round of 16 elimination.