Esmir Bajraktarevic, key player for Bosnia, eyes World Cup opener against Canada

A 21-year-old winger born in Appleton, Wisconsin, to Bosnian immigrants is about to become one of the most-watched players at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Esmir Bajraktarevic scored the penalty that knocked Italy out of World Cup qualifying on March 31, 2026, and now he’s preparing to lead Bosnia and Herzegovina into their Group B opener against Canada on June 12.

The rise of the Milwaukee Messi

Bajraktarevic played for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer before transferring to PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie in January 2025.

He represented the United States at youth international level before switching allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the country of his parents’ birth. His first senior international goal came on November 15, 2025, against Romania.

Then came the moment that changed everything. On March 31, 2026, Bajraktarevic stepped up and converted the winning penalty against Italy in a World Cup qualifying playoff. That single kick sent Bosnia to the World Cup for just the second time in their history, following their debut appearance in 2014.

Bosnia’s 26-man squad was announced on May 11, and Bajraktarevic is expected to be central to their campaign. After the Canada match on June 12, Bosnia faces Switzerland on June 18 and Qatar on June 24 to round out the group stage.

What this means for crypto and sports

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar was famously littered with crypto sponsorships. Crypto.com had arena naming rights across the sports world. FTX was plastered on everything from MLB umpire uniforms to Formula 1 cars. Fan token platforms like Socios were signing deals with national football associations at a frantic pace.

Then the bear market hit, FTX collapsed, and the entire sports-crypto partnership ecosystem went through a significant contraction. Most of those deals evaporated or weren’t renewed.

The fact that a breakout star like Bajraktarevic has no visible crypto or blockchain connections illustrates how far the pendulum has swung from the days when every athlete with a social media following was launching a fan token.

The investment angle

Fan tokens, which saw significant trading volume around the 2022 tournament, could see renewed interest as the event approaches. The 2024 European Championship and the 2024 Paris Olympics both saw modest upticks in fan token trading volume, though nothing approaching the 2022 frenzy.

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