The United States, despite being a player down, secured a place in the Round of 16 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 on Wednesday at the Levi's Stadium in San Francisco during the Round of 32.
Under Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, the U.S. team claimed victory thanks to goals from Folarin Balogun (45) and Malik Tillman (82).
The host nation of the tournament, alongside Mexico and Canada, finished the match with ten players following Balogun's direct red card in the 64th minute.
The U.S. will face Belgium next, who edged out Senegal 3-2 after extra time (2-2 in regular time), in Seattle next Monday.
This marked the United States' first knockout stage win at the World Cup in 24 years, the last being a 2-0 victory against Mexico on June 17, 2002, in the Round of 16 of the tournament co-hosted by South Korea and Japan.
It was also the USA's fourth World Cup win against a European team and the first since the 2002 edition, when they triumphed 3-2 over Portugal in the group stage.
The U.S. progressed to the knockout stages of this World Cup, co-hosted with Mexico and Canada, as Group D leaders with 6 points, beginning their campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over Paraguay, followed by a 2-0 win against Australia, and a 2-3 loss to Turkey in the final group match that didn't affect their standings.
Meanwhile, Bosnia, participating in their second World Cup after the 2014 edition in Brazil, reached the knockout stages for the first time in history by being one of the top 8 third-placed teams among the 12 first-round groups.
Bosnia started their tournament with a 1-1 draw against Canada before suffering a heavy 1-4 defeat to Switzerland in the second round, eventually bouncing back with a 3-1 victory over Qatar in their final group match.