St. Louis CITY SC to Host Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team Ahead of FIFA World Cup 26©
MLS St. Louis City SC

St. Louis CITY SC to Host Bosnia and Herzegovina National Team Ahead of FIFA World Cup 26©

Published on May 4, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
St. Louis City SC News Release


ST. LOUIS - As part of St. Louis CITY SC's "Summer of Soccer Presented by Purina," the club is proud to welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina's National Team to St. Louis for a 6-day training camp, which includes an international friendly against World Cup-qualified Panama on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at 2:00 PM CT at Energizer Park in Downtown St. Louis.

Presale tickets will be available starting Monday, May 4 at 12:00 PM CT for CITY SC Season Ticket Members and myCITY+ members. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 4 at 2:00 PM CT at www.seatgeek.com. For group tickets of 10 or more, or for premium tickets, call 314-924-6800 or visit http://stlcitysc.com/friendly.

"We're thrilled to host two World Cup-qualified teams in St. Louis as part of our 'Summer of Soccer,' just a few days before they compete on the world's biggest stage, the 2026 FIFA World Cup," said Diego Gigliani, President & GM, St. Louis CITY SC. "It's especially meaningful to welcome Bosnia and Herzegovina, given St. Louis is home to the largest community of Bosnians of any city in North, Central and South America. Knowing what football means to this group, we're convinced they'll show up loudly at Energizer Park to send their heroes off to the World Cup feeling the warmth of their fan base."

Bosnia and Herzegovina will train privately at Energizer Park as well as CITY SC's training facility, the Washington University Orthopedics High Performance Center. CITY SC is looking to celebrate the friendly with the Bosnian community with events leading up to the match and will have designated supporter sections for fans for both the Bosnian and Panamanian teams.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Connections to St. Louis

The history of the Bosnian community in St. Louis is closely tied to the upheavals of the Bosnian War in the 1990s. During and after the conflict, tens of thousands of Bosnian refugees fled their homeland, seeking safety and stability in the United States. St. Louis became one of the primary destinations due to affordable housing and job opportunities. By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the city had welcomed the largest Bosnian population outside of Europe, transforming neighborhoods such as Bevo Mill into vibrant cultural hubs. It is estimated that 60,000 Bosnians live in the St. Louis region today.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Road to FIFA World Cup 26™

In the team's World Cup qualifying campaign, Bosnia and Herzegovina secured a 5-2-1 record to advance to the UEFA playoffs. The Dragons were placed in Path A, where they overcame Wales in the semifinal, coming from behind to win 4-2 in a penalty shootout. The team punched its ticket to the FIFA World Cup 26™ by upsetting four-time FIFA World Cup champions Italy on March 31 in the playoff final. With the score 1-1 after 90 and 120 minutes, the match went to a penalty shootout, with 21-year-old Esmir Bajraktarević hitting the game-winning penalty kick to defeat Italy 4-1.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's national team is led by Coach Sergej Barbarez, who was appointed in 2024. 2026 will mark The Dragons' second-ever World Cup appearance; the team made its tournament debut at the 2014 edition in Brazil, which included St. Louis native and former St. Louis University standout Vedad Ibišević.

The friendly will mark Edin Džeko's fifth time playing in St. Louis. The 40-year-old captain previously visited with Manchester City in 2013 (vs. Chelsea), Roma in 2016 (vs. Liverpool), and his home country in 2013 (vs. Argentina) and 2014 (vs. Ivory Coast).

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Group Stage Schedule for FIFA World Cup 26™

Friday, June 12 at 2:00 PM CT: Canada vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Toronto

Thursday, June 18 at 2:00 PM CT: Switzerland vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina in Los Angeles

Wednesday, June 24 at 2:00 PM CT: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Qatar in Seattle

Panama's Road to FIFA World Cup 26™

Panama - led by Thomas Christiansen, the longest-tenured coach in the team's history - secured qualification for the World Cup by earning one of Concacaf's direct berths. The team dominated Group D in the Concacaf Qualifiers Second Round with 12 points and an undefeated 4-0-0 record, conceding just one goal.

In the Final Round, Panama was placed in Group A alongside El Salvador, Guatemala and Suriname. In September 2025, Panama drew Suriname 0-0 as well as Guatemala 1-1. Then in October play, the team earned a 1-0 win against El Salvador and again drew Suriname, this time 1-1.

In November, Panama was level on points with Suriname. The team earned a pivotal 3-2 victory against Guatemala before closing out the Final Round with a dominant 3-0 win over El Salvador, finishing first place in Group A and qualifying for a World Cup berth.

2026 marks Panama's second World Cup appearance, following the team's tournament debut at the 2018 edition in Russia.

Panama's Group Stage Schedule for FIFA World Cup 26™

Wednesday, June 17 at 6:00 PM: Ghana vs. Panama in Toronto

Tuesday, June 23 at 6:00 PM: Panama vs. Croatia in Toronto

Saturday, June 27 at 4:00 PM: Panama vs. England in East Rutherford, NJ

Summer of Soccer Presented by Purina

CITY SC's Summer of Soccer festivities will put the club at the center of soccer across the St. Louis region each day of the World Cup, with Soccer Celebrations at Energizer Park, "40 Days of Soccer" daily community activations and a 5v5 youth soccer tournament. For more information on all Summer of Soccer activities, visit www.SummerofSoccerSTL.com.

Check out the St. Louis City SC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Major League Soccer Stories from May 4, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central