USA faces Bosnia in World Cup, aiming to surpass 88-year wait and move past Cuba's record

The United States is set to face Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup Round of 16 match, with kickoff scheduled for early Thursday morning Estonia time. This encounter holds historical significance for the U.S. team as they aim to achieve a milestone not reached in 88 years.

Historically, only a few North American nations have advanced past the first knockout stage in the World Cup. Cuba achieved this in 1938 by defeating Romania. Mexico joined them in 1986, and the USA in 2002, followed by Costa Rica in 2014. Canada recently became the fifth North American team to win a knockout stage match in the current tournament. Before Mexico's recent victory over Ecuador, no North American team had won more than one knockout stage game in World Cup history.

The U.S. team enters the match after topping their group by defeating Paraguay 4-1 and Australia 2-0, but suffered a 2-3 loss to Turkey in their final group game. Bosnia and Herzegovina, in their second World Cup appearance, began their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Canada, followed by a 1-4 defeat to Switzerland. They secured their place in the top 32 by defeating Qatar 3-1 in their final group match.

This match presents an opportunity for the U.S. to break their historical parity with Cuba in terms of World Cup knockout stage wins. Since 1938, the U.S. has either trailed Cuba or remained level in this specific metric, a streak they hope to end against Bosnia and Herzegovina.