Born and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin, Esmir Bajraktarević has one cap for the USMNT, but it is with Bosnia & Herzegovina that he made soccer headlines around the world.

His successful penalty kick was the deciding attempt as Bosnia & Herzegovina defeated Italy in a shootout to advance to the World Cup, the four-time World Cup champion Azzurri missing out on a third straight World Cup.

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Paul Kennedy edited Soccer America for 41 years (1985-2026). He began writing for SA in 1974. He started writing for France Football in 1978 and has served on in Ballon d'Or jury since 2007.