FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The United States Men’s Olympic Team has released the roster for their final training camp before the Games kick off in Paris, and, like the other three camps held thus far, New England Revolution winger Esmir Bajraktarević is on the list. Speaking briefly after training on Wednesday as the Revs continue to prepare for Nashville SC this weekend, Bajraktarević said he was excited to have been called up and given the opportunity to earn a place in Marko Mitrović’s final 18-man squad.
“It’s obviously a big thing,” Bajraktarević said. “It’s something I’ve been looking forward to all year and something I’ve been working towards. It’s definitely exciting.”
Bajraktarević holds the distinction of being the youngest player called up for the 23-man training camp, though not by much, only beating out Inter Miami CF midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi by eight days. Still, the Wisconsin native said he was not at all fazed by any age gaps in the group.
“I’m used to playing with people older than me my whole life,” Bajraktarević said, “so it’s definitely something I’ve been used to.” He did recognize the value of being able to work with older teammates, though, saying, “it’s definitely good to learn off of them.”
Importantly, Bajraktarević and Cremaschi are the only two call-ups who will still be age-eligible for the Olympic team in 2028. U.S. fans in New England and beyond will be excited not only for the performances he could put on this summer, but also for everything that is still to come from him.
The final squad that kicks off in Paris this summer will be the first men’s Olympic soccer team playing under the American flag since the Beijing Games in 2008, with the Stars and Stripes failing to qualify for the three most recent editions. Bajraktarević is confident that this group could bring something special to the tournament.
“I think we’re capable of a lot,” he said. “We’ve played against some great teams in some friendlies – we’ve played Mexico, Japan, France – and we got good results against all of them.”
The team will play one more friendly, a rematch with Japan on June 11 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, before the Olympic Cauldron is lit. Before that, though, Bajraktarević and his Revolution teammates are immersed in preparations for Saturday’s visit to Nashville SC. Bajraktarević is hoping for a turnaround, saying he was frustrated with the team’s 1-0 defeat to New York City FC this past weekend.
“Right now, it’s just bouncing back from a pretty annoying loss, a game we probably should have won,” he said. “So, it’s just about getting the result, that’s the main focus right now.”
With no updates on the status of winger Tomás Chancalay available yet, it is looking increasingly likely that Bajraktarević could be handed another opportunity to demonstrate the skill that earned him his call-up this weekend in Tennessee. That game will kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass, the first of five games New England will play in the month of June.
