Reporter Apologizes for Harassment Regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of World Cup Match vs. USMNT
June 29, 2026 · Global
Reporter Abigail Velez apologized for her insensitive comments about Bosnia and Herzegovina ahead of their World Cup match against the USMNT.
A reporter who went viral for proudly claiming not to know where Bosnia and Herzegovina was on the map has now apologized. Abigail Velez, reporter and anchor at ABC7 in Los Angeles, made the comments ahead of Bosnia and Herzegovina's round of 32 match with the US men's national team (Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox). Footage of the segment went viral, with critics pointing out that Velez seemed to take pride in his ignorance. As a result, Velez changed his remarks in a statement posted on social media on Saturday. "In a poor attempt to have fun with the World Cup competition, I went too far and made inappropriate and insensitive comments on air. I apologize to the Bosnian people and the Bosnian football team," Velez said in his statement. "The World Cup should be about uniting communities around the world, and my comments do not reflect that spirit." Velez's comments came as part of a segment from Long Beach following the USMNT's loss to Turkey on Thursday. The US won the group despite the loss, setting up a match with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Santa Clara. A Bosnian soccer account posted footage of the segment on Friday, prompting the comments to go viral. "One thing about Bosnia, I can't show you where it is on a map. I don't know anything about Bosnia, and I don't want to know. That's because of Team USA, we're back, we're better than ever," Velez said in the clip. "Get ready Bosnia, because you don't want that. You don't want it to be like that. But you will get it." Bosnia and Herzegovina is part of the Balkan peninsula, a region with a long history of conflict and violence. The country's national team competed as part of Yugoslavia until independence in 1992. This was Bosnia and Herzegovina's second appearance at the World Cup as an independent nation, having participated in the 2014 tournament in Brazil. In the 2026 tournament, a draw with Canada and a win over Qatar were enough for Bosnia and Herzegovina to place third in Group B; they have now advanced to the knockout stages for the first time, as one of the best third-placed teams.