Sergej Barbarez: We Should Celebrate, Not Mourn

Bosnia and Herzegovina's head coach, Sergej Barbarez, expressed immense pride in his players' performance, stating they should hold their heads high despite exiting the tournament after a 2-0 loss to the United States in the Round of 16. The Bosnian squad had previously drawn with co-hosts Canada, defeated Qatar, and lost to Switzerland in the group stage of the 2026 World Cup.

"I am truly proud of them. I told the boys that immediately after the match. I congratulated them and was genuinely proud of their performance. This is a result we should celebrate. We shouldn't be sad, because this is part of life, part of football, especially in a major competition like this," the coach remarked.

Barbarez admitted he eagerly anticipates the team's return home to meet their supporters, adding, "Video messages are nice, phone calls are great, but being among the people – only then will we truly understand how wonderful and important this is."

"Even though we were two goals down, my heart was full watching the players. I am the proudest coach in the world right now," assured the Bosnia and Herzegovina manager.