Bosnia and Qatar meet in Seattle with round of 32 spot on the line
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar take the field in Seattle for their final Group B match, each requiring victory to have any chance of advancing to the round of 32 as one of the best third-placed teams.
The scenario
Both Bosnia and Herzegovina and Qatar enter the last group stage match knowing only a win will do. A draw would eliminate both sides, as each has collected one point from two games and sits well behind group leaders Canada and Switzerland. The sole route into the knockout phase is to finish as one of the eight best third-placed teams across all groups, making victory essential and a boost to goal difference highly desirable.
Group B standings
Bosnia is third in the group on one point, with a goal difference of -3. Qatar is fourth, also on one point, but with a goal difference of -6 after a heavy defeat to Canada. Switzerland and Canada have already secured the top two positions, so the match in Seattle is effectively a fight for the best possible third-place seeding.
How they got here
Bosnia opened with a 1-1 draw against Canada and then lost 4-1 to Switzerland. Qatar drew 1-1 with Switzerland in their first match before falling 6-0 to host nation Canada. Those results leave both with identical points but sharply different goal differences, which will be the decisive factor if they are to squeeze into the round of 32.
- Bosnia & Herzegovina
- -3 goals
- Qatar
- -6 goals
What is required to advance
Even a win does not guarantee progress. Bosnia must overcome a three-goal deficit relative to other third-placed contenders and hope results elsewhere go their way. Qatar’s situation is far steeper: with a -6 goal difference, they likely need a win by a margin of several goals to stand any chance of being among the best eight third-placed teams.
U.S. interest and potential next opponent
The outcome of this match carries additional weight because the group winner could face the United States in the round of 32. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino’s side would meet the second-placed team in Group B or a best third-place finisher from another pool, and a Bosnia or Qatar victory might set up that transatlantic knockout clash.
Match details
Kick-off is scheduled for 21:00 CEST (3 p.m. Eastern) at Lumen Field in Seattle. It will be played simultaneously with Switzerland’s match against Canada, concluding Group B action. Television coverage is available on DAZN in Spain and through other broadcast partners globally.
