Abigail Velez, a reporter for ABC7 Los Angeles, became the center of attention following her playful comments during a USMNT watch party in Long Beach, California. The comments came after the United States faced a defeat against Turkey in the World Cup. As she discussed the upcoming match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, Velez quipped, “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 continued her light banter with, “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. That’s next Wednesday. Get prepared, Bosnia, because you don’t want it, you don’t want it like that, but you’re gonna get it. That’s next Wednesday.”
Her remarks, intended as classic trash talk in the context of sports competition, led to mixed reactions. Some viewers and even the Bosnian national soccer team reacted on social media. The Bosnian team tweeted, “My goodness, the stereotypes write themselves……” This post included Velez’s comments and reached over 10 million views.
The situation prompted Velez to issue a public apology. She stated, “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.”
Emphasizing the World Cup’s purpose of uniting people globally, 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.”
While Velez’s comments were meant to be amusing, the reaction highlighted how humor can sometimes be misunderstood or cause offense.
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