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Milwaukee Messi Leads Bosnia vs US in World Cup

7/2/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Bosnia faced the United States in a World Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday, with Esmir Bajraktarevic—who scored the penalty that qualified Bosnia by beating Italy—playing for Bosnia.
The 21-year-old Appleton native, “Milwaukee Messi,” switched to Bosnia after a 2024 U.S. friendly, citing his parents’ survival of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide and their 2001 move to the United States, now playing for PSV after training in the U.S.

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Story summary

Bosnia faced the United States in a World Cup Round of 32 match on Wednesday, with Esmir Bajraktarevic—who scored the penalty that qualified Bosnia by beating Italy—playing for Bosnia.
The 21-year-old Appleton native, “Milwaukee Messi,” switched to Bosnia after a 2024 U.S. friendly, citing his parents’ survival of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide and their 2001 move to the United States, now playing for PSV after training in the U.S.