New England Revolution homegrown product Esmir BajraktareviÄ 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.
BajraktareviÄ 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.
BajraktareviÄ 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 BajraktareviÄ 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 BajraktareviÄ's heroics, Bosnia complete Group B at the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada, Switzerland and Qatar. They'll meet Canada on June 12 in TorontoĀ 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.




