USA and Bosnia coaches preview Round of 32 clash at World Cup 2026

With the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 approaching, USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino and Bosnia and Herzegovina head coach Sergej Barbarez shared their thoughts on the upcoming clash at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The match carries significant weight for the USA, who are aiming to win a knockout match for the first time since the 2002 edition of the tournament.

Pochettino: USA prepared for all scenarios

Pochettino emphasized that his team has prepared meticulously for a range of eventualities, including a potential penalty shootout. “Yes, we will be ready if it comes to penalties,” the 54-year-old Argentine said. “We started working with a few companies on that area because I think it’s really important. I don’t want to say too much about it, but we have been working on it because, as a coaching staff, we believe we can give the players tools to improve and help them find the best way to deal with situations like this.”

The USA coach also stressed the importance of treating every match as a final, a mentality he has instilled in his squad since before the tournament began. “Of course, tomorrow is a final, but the game against Paraguay was a final too,” Pochettino said. “We tried to recreate that feeling when we played [the warm-up matches against] Germany in Chicago, Senegal in Charlotte, Uruguay in Tampa and Paraguay in Philadelphia. We wanted to recreate those emotions and that intensity.”

Respect for Bosnia and Herzegovina

Pochettino made clear that his side will not underestimate their opponents. “We have complete respect for Bosnia and Herzegovina. I don’t believe we are the favourites. Over the past few days, we’ve all seen how difficult this World Cup is. I think it’s easier to talk about favourites after the matches, not before,” he said.

He described Bosnia and Herzegovina as “a very combative, aggressive and physical team, but they are also well organised and have a very good coach.” Pochettino added, “When you watch their group-stage matches or their qualifier against Italy in March, you can see they have quality. It’s not just that they are aggressive and well organised; they have quality players and a coach who gives them the platform to perform.”

Barbarez: USA are favourites, but we will attack

Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez offered a contrasting view on the favourites tag. “I still see the USA as favourites. They are above us in the world ranking, they’re on home soil, with some excellent players and a really strong pedigree,” said the 54-year-old. “Being the underdog has never been a problem for us, but once the match kicks off, none of that is important. All that matters to us is what happens on the pitch. We have studied the opposition, prepared our match plan and want to show what we are capable of.”

Barbarez made clear that his team will not abandon the approach that brought them to this stage. “Of course we respect the USA, but that does not mean we won’t take the game to them tomorrow,” he said. “We will give as good as we get and hope to come out with the win. We’re not going to abandon the approach that has got us to this point over the past 18 months.”

The Bosnia coach concluded with a personal wish for his players: “I want to see the players celebrating and enjoying the moment together. That is my biggest wish.”