Esmir Bajraktarevic looks like he could be leaving the U.S. men’s national team behind.
The New England Revolution attacker, one of the most promising teenagers in the American player pool, has strongly hinted in recent weeks that he is set to switch his international allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Bajraktarevic’s parents fled Bosnia in the early 1990s amid a devastating war, eventually settling in Wisconsin where Bajraktarevic was born and raised.
The 19-year-old has only represented the U.S. at the international level thus far, playing at several youth levels and making his senior debut this January against Slovenia.
But rumors over a switch to Bosnia and Herzegovina began to swirl last month when fans noticed that Bajraktarevic had switched the flag in his Instagram profile from the U.S. to Bosnia.
What many of us thought was that Esmir Bajraktarević would play the Olympics with 🇺🇸 and then switch to 🇧🇦.
I don’t really draw conclusions from social media or statements in the media, but it looks like Esmir is leaning towards us. He recently removed the American flag from his… pic.twitter.com/49rJX17rjE
— Bosniaco🇧🇦 (@BiHFooty) June 19, 2024
The teenager spoke to The Blazing Musket after Wednesday’s Revolution win over Atlanta, hinting that he was indeed leaning toward switching to his parents’ home country.
“Yeah, I mean, obviously, I’m very proud to be Bosnian,” Bajraktarevic said. “Playing for the national team is definitely something that I’ve dreamed of since I was little. I mean, I’m not ready to announce anything or to say much right now but yeah, I’m just proud to be a Bosnian [and] it’d be great.”
Bajraktarevic was called into the final pre-Olympics camp for the USMNT last month, and appears to have a decent chance to be called in to the final 18-player roster when it is announced on Monday.
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