Bosnia beat Qatar 3-1 to keep first-ever knockout
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- Bosnia-Herzegovina beat Qatar 3-1 at Lumen Field in Washington in their Group B finale, finishing level on points with second-placed Canada but missing out on second spot on head-to-head rules.
- Kerim Alajbegovic opened the scoring in the 29th minute with a long-range strike from over 25 yards — becoming Bosnia's youngest-ever World Cup player in the process — before Edin Dzeko's volley deflected off Sultan Al Brake, with the own goal credited to goalkeeper Abunada.
- Hassan Al Haidos pulled one back for Qatar in the 42nd minute, but Ermin Mahmic came off the bench in the 80th minute to seal Bosnia's second-ever World Cup victory and first in 12 years.
- Bosnia head coach Sergej Barbarez called it "the perfect match" and said the national team "has just begun," pointing to the squad's young core ahead of the next World Cup.
- Qatar head coach Julen Lopetegui said his side "deserved more" and added: "You don't know when you will have other possibilities in your life to be in the World Cup," as Qatar were eliminated.
- Bosnia now wait on results elsewhere to confirm a last-32 berth, where a potential matchup against Germany or the United States awaits, while Qatar are knocked out of the tournament.
Why it matters: A Bosnia team that came in as "complete underdogs" (per Barbarez) earned only their second-ever World Cup win and stayed in contention for a historic first knockout-round appearance, while host nation Qatar's elimination ends a campaign Lopetegui suggested may have been a final chance for his squad.
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