After her recent appearance on the air before the round of 16 match of the World Cup provoked strong reactions from the public, ABC7 reporter Abigail Velez publicly apologized to the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Dragons.
Velez admitted that her comment was ill-advised and inappropriate for the spirit of competition such as the World Cup.
“In a bad attempt to have a little fun in the spirit of the World Cup, I went too far and made a thoughtless comment on the air that was insensitive and inappropriate. I apologize to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team. The World Cup should unite communities around the world, and my comment did not reflect that spirit. I wish all the teams the best in the continuation of their journey at the World Cup,” Velez said.
Let us remind you that the American journalist came under fire after she showed basic ignorance about our country during a live broadcast from Long Beach, ahead of the historic duel between the Dragons and the United States of America.
She then stated that she “doesn’t know much about Bosnia” and that she “wouldn’t know where it is on the map”, adding a provocative message: “Get ready, Bosnia, because we are coming”. The video soon went viral, and many judged her performance as extremely unprofessional, considering that our national team is playing in the knockout phase of the World Cup.
As a reminder, the Dragons qualified for the World Championship for the second time in history, and this year in 2026, they achieved a historic success by passing the group stage. The round of 16 match against the USA is scheduled for Wednesday.
