Esmir Bajraktarević

Esmir Bajraktarević was born to parents who fled Srebrenica as refugees, a background that later gave him the option to switch international allegiance. He came through the ranks in the United States, starting with SC Wave and Chicago Fire's youth setup before joining New England Revolution, where he progressed through the club's second team in USL League One and then MLS Next Pro. He represented the United States at youth level through the U19s and U23s and won one senior cap in January 2024. In August that year, FIFA approved a change of sporting nationality, and since July 2024 he has played for Bosnia and Herzegovina, for whom he has made 20 appearances and scored once, and has been named in the squad for the 2026 World Cup.

His move to Europe came in January 2025, when PSV Eindhoven signed him from New England Revolution. In his first half-season in Eindhoven he made five appearances without scoring. He also featured for the reserve side, Jong PSV, in the Eerste Divisie, and scored his first goal for the club on European soil in a 3-2 match against MVV Maastricht in April 2025.

The 2025/26 season brought a marked step up: 36 appearances and seven goals across all competitions, including three assists. He added a further appearance in the Johan Cruyff Shield at the start of the following campaign. PSV won the Eredivisie in both 2024/25 and 2025/26, titles Bajraktarević shared in as a squad member.