New England Revolution homegrown product Esmir Bajraktarević provided arguably the biggest moment in Bosnia & Herzegovina soccer history on Tuesday.
The 21-year-old winger scored the game-winning penalty kick against four-time FIFA World Cup champions Italy, sending his country to the 2026 World Cup in the process.
Bajraktarević went the full 120 minutes for Bosnia & Herzegovina, then sealed the 4-1 shootout victory after the sides battled to a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Playoff Path A final.
Bajraktarević spent 2022-24 with New England before moving to Eredivisie powerhouse and UEFA Champions League regulars PSV Eindhoven for reportedly up to $6 million and a sell-on fee.
Although Bajraktarević has 14 caps with Bosnia, the Wisconsin native originally represented the United States before filing a one-time switch of association. He also featured for several US youth international teams while developing in New England’s academy pipeline.
With Bajraktarević’s heroics, Bosnia complete Group B at the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada, Switzerland and Qatar. They’ll meet Canada on June 12 in Toronto in one of the tournament’s first matches.
Meanwhile, Italy have now missed three straight World Cups. The Azzurri won the 2006 World Cup and last qualified in 2014.
