SEATTLE:
Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Qatar 1-3 in their final Group B match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup to keep alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stage for the first time.
In the match played in Seattle, Bosnia played an attacking game from the start and Qatari goalkeeper Mahmud Abunda had to make some excellent saves in the early minutes.
The first goal of the match was scored by 18-year-old Karim Alibegovic in the 29th minute, and two defenders moved away and sent the ball into the net with a powerful shot.
Bosnia doubled their lead six minutes from time when captain Edin Dzeko’s goal deflected off Qatar defender Sultan Al-Brek and into the net, an own goal.
Qatar reduced the deficit to 1-2 with Hassan Al Haydos’ goal three minutes before the break, while Pedro Miguel’s effort hit the post to deny Qatar an equaliser.
In the second half, Qatar tried to increase the pressure with counterattacks, but Bosnia’s defensive line was strong.
In the 80th minute of the match, substitute Armin Mahmich took advantage of the chaos in the box and scored the third goal and ensured the victory of his team.
This is only Bosnia’s second victory in the history of the World Cup. Earlier in the 2014 World Cup, they defeated Iran 1-3.
Bosnia finished the group stage with four points, but had to settle for third place due to their record against Canada.
Bosnia now have their eyes on the other group results as they could join the eight best third-placed teams to advance to the knockout stages.
On the other hand, Qatar finished last in the group with only one point and was eliminated from the competition.
