While the pressure is on for Switzerland at Los Angeles Stadium, their opponents Bosnia and Herzegovina have plenty to smile about about ahead of their second Group B game at the FIFA World Cup 2026™, where they aim to build on a solid performance in the opener against Canada.

“We deserved the point that we got and we will see what tomorrow’s game will bring,” coach Sergej Barbarez said. “Of course, it depends on the opponent as well, not just on our own game. But our rule remains the same, which is to focus on ourselves and try to play our best and try to win the match.”

Attention is certainly on their opponents, who had high expectations ahead of the World Cup and were disappointed with an opening draw against Qatar. However, focusing on themselves and not their opponents has served the Bosnian team well in the recent past, such as in their tricky play-off match-up with heavily-favoured Italy. “That's what matters to us the most. When we were playing against Italy in the play-offs, there was a similar sentiment publicly, but we stayed focused on ourselves.”

“It was one of the games that is going to stay in our memories for always, playing against such an opponent in the play-offs and qualifying for the World Cup. The performance we showed at the time was incredible,” Barbarez added. “For us personally, it was a great achievement, it was a great step and it was a win that was going to boost our confidence for the future. We showed that we can play against the best teams.”

While Switzerland are in the top 20 of the FIFA/Coca Cola Men’s World Ranking, Bosnia and Herzegovina are one of the lower-ranked sides at this global showpiece, and while the pressure to perform may be primarily on their opponents, there’s plenty to play for the Bosnian side, with nothing decided in the group as of yet.

They will have plenty of support at Los Angeles Stadium, where thousands of Bosnian supporters are expected on site. “It's an amazing boost for us,” defender Nikola Katic said. “A lot of our friends and family are going to be with us tomorrow, with our fans, and that means quite a lot. Knowing we have their support also brings a level of responsibility.”

“I keep reminding the lads that they need to stay in the moment,” Barbarez finally put things into perspective. “At some point, this World Cup will be just memories, so I really want them to be happy and to be joyful about being here, because they deserve it. That's the only path to give your best, because that's when you feel your best.”