ABC7 Los Angeles reporter Abigail Velez issued a public apology on Saturday following widespread criticism of her on-air remarks regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, the upcoming Round of 32 opponent for the United States Men's National Team in the 2026 World Cup.
The controversy arose during a live broadcast from Long Beach after the United States concluded its group stage matches.
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Velez expressed unfamiliarity with the European nation's geographic location.
Social media platforms widely circulated the clip, drawing significant backlash from viewers and soccer fans globally before Velez posted her statement of regret online.
"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 apologize to the people of Bosnia and the Bosnian Football team," Velez said.
The reporter further expressed her thoughts regarding the overarching mission of the international football tournament.
"The World Cup is supposed to be about uniting communities around the world, and my comment didn't reflect that spirit," Velez added.
During the original sports segment, Velez had made continuous remarks about the capabilities of the American squad relative to their next opponent.
"One thing about Bosnia, I could not point out where it is on a map. I don't know the first thing about Bosnia, and don't wanna know.
That's because Team USA, we're back, we're better than ever," Velez said.
