Esmir Bajraktarević grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin, developed through Chicago's academy system, and represented the United States at youth and senior levels. Everything pointed to a career wearing red, white, and blue. Then, just before Paris 2024, he walked away from it all.
His choice to switch eligibility to Bosnia and Herzegovina now carries an unexpected weight. This Wednesday in Santa Clara, the two nations will collide in the World Cup knockout round, a collision that seemed improbable just months ago.
The decision made sense to Bajraktarević on a personal level. His parents fled Bosnia during the country's brutal war in the 1990s, first to Switzerland before resettling in the United States through a refugee program in 2001. The younger Bajraktarević was six when he was born. Growing up in Wisconsin, he carried that heritage with him.
"In heart I always knew since I was little that it was going to be Bosnia at the end of the day," Bajraktarević said in February. He wore Edin Dzeko jerseys as a kid, idolizing the striker who represented Bosnia on the world stage. When Dzeko's country finally qualified for the World Cup in 2014, Bajraktarević was nine years old.
By September 2024, the dream became real. Bajraktarević made his senior debut for Bosnia and Herzegovina, and within months he found himself in the most pressure-packed moment of his career.
In the Uefa playoff against Italy, Bosnia fought back from an early deficit after Alessandro Bastoni's first-half red card. Haris Tabaković equalized, and the match went to a penalty shootout with a World Cup berth on the line. This was the second shootout of the playoff sequence. Bosnia's previous one against Wales sent them through.
Bajraktarević was Italy's fourth taker. The score stood at 3-1 in Bosnia's favor. He faced Gianluigi Donnarumma, one of the world's elite keepers, in a moment that would define his international career. He buried it beneath Donnarumma's gloves as the keeper dove left, then held his Bosnia flag aloft as the home crowd erupted. The Zmajevi were headed to the World Cup at Italy's expense.
In the group stage, Bajraktarević started against Canada and Qatar, coming off the bench against Switzerland. He operated as a recipient for forward passes, touching the ball 70 times in attacking third and completing five passes into the box. Only Ivan Bašić logged more box passes for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Sergiño Dest, Bajraktarević's PSV teammate and fellow US player, acknowledged the awkward reunion before training Sunday in Irvine. "I didn't call him, he didn't call me yet, but he is a good player," Dest said. "He also had to make the choice between the US and Bosnia. He chose the other side. But hopefully we will not regret that after Wednesday."
The US comes into the match hoping to shake off a meaningless loss to Turkey. Bajraktarević's threat along the flank figures to be a major factor in determining whether Bosnia can pull off another upset.
Author James Rodriguez: "The poetic collision of a refugee's son against the nation he chose to leave reveals what World Cup expansion really means: second chances and family loyalty get to settle old scores on the biggest stage."
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