ABC News reporter Abigail Velez has apologised after making controversial on-air comments about Bosnia-Herzegovina ahead of the country's World Cup match against the United States. Velez, who works for ABC7 Los Angeles, was reporting from a USA viewing party in Long Beach, California, when she made the remarks while discussing America’s next opponent in the tournament.
What Was Said
Following the US team's 3-2 defeat to Turkey, Velez told viewers: 'The next round, Team USA will play Bosnia next Wednesday and one thing about Bosnia, I could not point out where it is on a map.' She then added: 'I don't know the first thing about Bosnia and I don't want to know because Team USA, we're back, we're better than ever.'
The comments quickly spread on social media, where Bosnian football fans and other viewers criticised the report as disrespectful. One account, Bosnian Football, shared the clip on X and wrote: 'My goodness, the stereotypes write themselves...' Another viewer said: 'Some competitive talk is always fun, but that's not the way to do it.' A third added: 'The weirdest thing about Americans is that they feel it's like a flex to say 'I don't even know where they are on a map.''
Apology Issued
Velez later issued an apology on X, admitting she had gone too far while trying to inject humour into her World Cup coverage. She wrote: 'In a poor effort to have a little fun with World Cup competition, I took it too far and made a thoughtless comment on air that was insensitive and inappropriate. I apologise to the people of Bosnia and the Bosnian Football team.' She added: 'The World Cup is supposed to be about uniting communities around the world, and my comment didn't reflect that spirit. Wishing all the teams the very best as they continue their World Cup journey.'
Mixed Reactions
Despite her apology, not everyone was convinced. One person replied: 'This is not a pure apology. This is just a pr stunt to protect one’s reputation from being scrutinized.' Another pointed out that the current president of ABC News, Almin Karamehmedovic, is actually from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Not everyone was offended though. One user shared: 'There is absolutely no reason to say sorry for that. The Bosnians don’t even know where Pigeon Forge and Rochester are on the map. Do you see them saying sorry?'
The apology came ahead of the USA's knockout match against Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is due to take place at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Wednesday. The United States finished top of Group D after winning two of their three matches, while Bosnia-Herzegovina progressed from Group B as one of the best third-placed sides.
