Bosnia-Herzegovina defeated Qatar 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Seattle Soccer Stadium in Seattle, Wash. on Matchday 3 of Group B of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Kerim Alajbegović, Ermin Mahmić and an own goal from Sultan Al-Brake put the Dragons on top, while Hassan Al-Haydos scored for Qatar.
Bosnia-Herzegovina started off strong when Ermedin Demirović received the ball near the top of the eighteen and rocketed the ball toward the right side of the net in the 2nd minute. Despite the solid effort, Mahmud Abunada was there to make the save.
In the 13th minute, Qatar launched a quick counterattack that found Akram Afif dribbling through the center of the pitch. As he closed in on goal, Ivan Šunjić stepped in to poke the ball away, and Nikola Vasilj made an additional save to extinguish the threat.
Just before the first hydration break, Edin Džeko combined with Demirović in a quick one-two just outside the eighteen, drawing a foul and earning Bosnia-Herzegovina a dangerous free kick in the 25th minute. However, the ensuing set-piece came to nothing, as Alajbegović's effort crashed into the Qatar defensive wall.
Bosnia-Herzegovina found the opening lead in the 29th minute when Alajbegović received the ball at the top of the penalty area and dribbled through multiple Qatar players before striking the ball from distance.
Five minutes later, Bosnia-Herzegovina extended the lead to two when Džeko looked to one-time volley the ball across the face of the goal and — in an attempt to block the cross — defender Sultan Al-Brake’s deflection went into the net.
Džeko nearly grabbed another for Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 38th minute when Ivan Bašić’s lofted ball over Qatar's defense landed perfectly to an onside Džeko, who managed to get a shot off. Just as it looked like the ball was going in, it bounced off the post.
Qatar cut the deficit to one in the 42nd minute when an initial cross across the face of the goal got recycled back in by Edmílson Junior, who found a wide open Hassan Al-Haydos near the six. Upon retrieving the ball, Al-Haydos knocked the ball one-time into the back of the net.
Qatar came within inches of an equalizer moments before halftime when Akram Afif slipped a perfectly weighted pass into the penalty area for Pedro Miguel, whose shot beat the goalkeeper. But, his driven attempt struck the far post, allowing Bosnia-Herzegovina to preserve the lead.
In the 57th minute, Abdulaziz Hatem slipped a ball to Affif who looked to knock one in for Qatar from a tough angle, but his near post attempt hit the side netting.
Esmir Bajraktarević won a 1-v-1 battle down the right flank in the 76th minute before shooting from distance. His effort, however, went high and wide of the goal, keeping his team at two with less than 20 minutes to go.
In the 80th minute, a nearly identical sequence unfolded as the winger once again found space at the top of the penalty area and unleashed a shot toward goal. Unlike his earlier attempt, this strike was headed on target, forcing Mahmud Abunada into a diving save to keep the ball out of the net.
Less than a minute later, Mahmić finally notched the third for Bosnia-Herzegovina. The insurance goal came after a series of ricochettes before the ball popped out for him to strike first-time from the spot.
While Qatar was able to generate some promising chances in the second 45, including Miguel’s long-range effort that Vasilj tipped over the crossbar in the fourth minute of stoppage time, it wasn’t enough to overpower Bosnia-Herzegovina, who were able to maintain their lead throughout the duration of the match and secure the victory at the final whistle.
The Game Belongs to the People
After the World Cup, keep the soccer celebration going with Sounders FC vs. Portland Timbers on June 16. Tickets start at just $20.26, making the biggest match of the year one of the easiest ways to experience Seattle soccer live.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
First-ever progression for Bosnia-Herzegovina
For the first-time in World Cup history, Bosnia-Herzegovina advances out of their group and into the Round of 32, knockout stage. The southeastern European side finished third in Group B, behind Canada and Switzerland.
Qatar out
Following Wednesday’s loss against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar was officially eliminated from the World Cup. Qatar closed out World Cup competition with one point in three matches.
Super Sub
With his goal against Qatar on Wednesday, Mahmić joined an exclusive group of just five players in tournament history to score multiple goals as a substitute for their national team. The attacking midfielder had previously found the back of the net against Switzerland, making his strike versus Qatar his second goal of the tournament off the bench.
