The United States men’s national team takes on Bosnia and Herzegovina today in San Francisco, marking the first knockout round match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the tournament’s co-hosts. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.

The USMNT enters the match as clear favorites, listed at -280 on the betting line.

How the US got here

Mauricio Pochettino’s squad topped Group D with a 2-1-0 record. The campaign opened with a commanding 4-1 demolition of Paraguay, followed by a 2-0 victory over Australia. The lone blemish was a 2-3 loss to Turkiye.

The expanded 48-team format for this World Cup means the knockout rounds begin at the round of 32 rather than the traditional round of 16.

The key players to watch

Christian Pulisic remains the engine of this US squad. Folarin Balogun has been another focal point of the attack.

Pochettino himself previously led Tottenham Hotspur to a Champions League final and managed Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea.

What this match means for the bigger picture

The 2026 tournament is the first to feature 48 teams, up from the previous 32-team format, co-hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

The match will air on FOX in the United States and BBC One in the United Kingdom, along with streaming options on FOX Sports platforms. For an 8:00 p.m. ET kickoff, the 5:00 p.m. PT start time catches West Coast viewers as they’re leaving work.

For investors watching the intersection of sports and digital assets, this World Cup cycle has been notably quiet on the crypto front. No major token partnerships, no blockchain-based ticketing headlines, no fan token promotions tied to the USMNT’s run. That’s a stark contrast to the 2022 Qatar World Cup, where Crypto.com branding was seemingly everywhere.