A Kerim Alajbegović wondergoal helped Bosnia and Herzegovina to a 3-1 win over Qatar, as the Europeans sealed third place in Group B on four points, meaning a likely passage through to the FIFA World Cup (WC) knockout stages.
On a stifling Seattle afternoon, the opening goal was born of teen spirit, as Alajbegović became the latest superstar to emerge from the Emerald City, sending the Dragons’ fans into delirium with a sublime goal after 28 minutes. The 18-year-old danced around three defenders on the edge of the box before firing an unstoppable strike beyond Mahmud Abunada in the Qatar goal. A star was born, and five minutes later, 40-year-old Edin Džeko would show his light is dimming but not yet extinguished, as it was his shot that was diverted into his own net by a combination of Sultan Al-Brake and Abunada to double Bosnia’s lead.
With Qatar offering little going forward, the match could have been sealed when Džeko rattled a strike against the inside of the post after springing clear of Qatar’s defence. However, having been on the verge of futility, the trailing side got a goal back with their first shot on goal, as Edmilson Junior’s pull-back was bundled home from close range by Hasan Al-Haydos, who became the first Qatar player to score a goal in international football since December 2025.
Knowing a win was needed to leapfrog their opponents into third place, Qatar were the aggressors in the opening period of the second half. Akram Afif went closest to an equaliser, as he fired into the side-netting from a wide angle after finding a pocket of space behind the Bosnia defence.
With high stakes and the enormity of the occasion bearing heavily on their shoulders, the closing stages of the match were a tense affair, but with 10 minutes left, Ermin Mahmić blew away any nerves. The ball broke to the 21-year-old after a scramble in the Qatar box, and for the second game in a row, the midfielder scored after coming on as a substitute, as his strike flew underneath Abunada, confirming the end of Qatar’s 2026 WC adventure.
