01.07.2026 18:30
Bosnia and Herzegovina national team captain Edin Dzeko said the USA, whom they will face in the round of 32, are the favorites for the match, but they did not come to the tournament by chance. The 40-year-old footballer also commented on an American reporter saying he didn't even know where Bosnia and Herzegovina is on the world map, stating, "I think this is not about us. It says a lot more about them."
Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team Captain Edin Dzeko said that the USA is the favorite, but they did not come to the tournament by chance. Dzeko, who once played for Fenerbahçe in his career, made statements during the media day before their round of 32 match against the USA in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be played on Thursday, July 2 at 03:00 Turkish time.
''USA IS THE FAVORITE''
The 40-year-old footballer stated that the US National Team's recent achievements have been impressive and spoke as follows:
"Most of their players currently play in Europe, for good teams. This shows the quality of the USA. Also, bringing Pochettino as the head coach is another great move for them. Yes, the USA is the favorite, but we also have quality. We did not come here just to be present or by chance. We have great players like Esmir and Karim. I think this is just the beginning for Esmir, and he hasn't shown his full potential yet. I hope he will."
''IT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE GROUP STAGE''
Dzeko, noting that they know the USA has fast players, said, "We know they can go very deep with their speed. You are the favorite, but the knockout stage is completely different from the group stage."
DZEKO'S RESPONSE TO THE FEMALE REPORTER
Regarding a question about a female reporter on a US television channel who said she didn't even know where Bosnia and Herzegovina was and then apologized, Dzeko said, "I think this is not about us. It says more about them. What matters more is what the players of the US National Team think. I think they know we have quality, and we know we have quality."