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LA reporter faces backlash over ‘insensitive’ Bosnia comments during viral World Cup report
NY Post ^ | 06/28/2026 | Nicholas McEntyre

Posted on 06/28/2026 5:38:04 AM PDT by DFG

An award-winning California news reporter faced backlash for her “insensitive” comments towards Bosnia-Herzegovina during her World Cup coverage, forcing her to apologize for taking the joke “too far.”

ABC7 Los Angeles’ Abigail Velez was covering the US national team’s match at a viewing party on the streets of Long Beach, Calif., Thursday, when she updated viewers on America’s next opponent after the 3-2 loss to Turkey.

“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,” Velez quipped. “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.”

Velez, who has been with the station since November 2025, doubled down and told the southeastern European nation to get ready for battle against the US.

“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,” she said before tossing the report back to the station.

Bosnian fans were quick to call out Velez for the report.

“My goodness, the stereotypes write themselves……” X account Bosnian Football wrote, alongside a clip of Velez’s report.

“Some competitive talk is always fun, but that’s not the way to do it,” another user wrote.

“The weirdest things about Americans is that they feel it’s like a flex to say “I don’t even know where they are on a map,” a third said.

Velez apologized on Saturday for “poor effort to have a little fun,” explaining the segment was supposed to be a light-hearted report that got out of hand.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: abigailvelez; bosniaherzegovina; soccer; turkey; worldcup
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1 posted on 06/28/2026 5:38:04 AM PDT by DFG
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To: DFG

Half of America couldn’t find Bosnia on a map..............


2 posted on 06/28/2026 5:42:18 AM PDT by Red Badger (Iryna Zarutska, May 22, 2002 Kyiv, Ukraine – August 22, 2025 Charlotte, North Carolina Say her name)
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To: All

Thats hardly even offensive.


3 posted on 06/28/2026 5:43:18 AM PDT by escapefromboston (Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none.)
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To: DFG

4 posted on 06/28/2026 5:43:20 AM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is opinion or satire. Or both.)
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To: DFG

When you’re looking to be offended, you will be successful 100% of the time.


5 posted on 06/28/2026 5:45:51 AM PDT by ConservaTexan (February 6, 1911/June 14, 1944)
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To: Red Badger

Half?? I’d say closer to 90%.


6 posted on 06/28/2026 5:45:59 AM PDT by ealgeone
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To: DFG

Figured she’d get a pass.


7 posted on 06/28/2026 5:46:13 AM PDT by ealgeone
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To: DFG

The poor dear looks young. Want to have fun with her? Ask her to point out Yugoslavia.


8 posted on 06/28/2026 5:47:06 AM PDT by Kudsman (Make Mike Lee Majority Leader.)
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To: Red Badger

Hillary Clinton knows where it is - she came under sniper fire there.


9 posted on 06/28/2026 5:47:13 AM PDT by posterchild
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To: DFG

“An award-winning California news reporter”

IOW, a barking mad leftist moonbat.


10 posted on 06/28/2026 5:57:13 AM PDT by bk1000 (Banned from Breitbart)
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To: ealgeone

I’d say that’s about right. Most people don’t even understand cardinal directions.


11 posted on 06/28/2026 5:59:01 AM PDT by drwoof
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To: ConservaTexan

> When you’re looking to be offended, you will be successful 100% of the time. <

Everybody is a victim these days.

I’d like to say more, but I’m busy working on a lawsuit now. A cashier at Walmart looked at me funny. That really hurt my feelings. So I’m suing for $1 million.
💰


12 posted on 06/28/2026 6:00:34 AM PDT by Leaning Right
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To: Red Badger

I was deployed to Bosnia, and we couldn’t find it on a map when we were told we were going. Part of Bill Clinton’s plan to help radical Muslims conquer Europe. I fortunately didn’t have to stay long.


13 posted on 06/28/2026 6:11:08 AM PDT by TheThirdRuffian (Orange is the new brown)
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To: posterchild

That’s if you believe her self serving lies, which I don’t.


14 posted on 06/28/2026 6:11:39 AM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
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To: ConservaTexan

Indeed.


15 posted on 06/28/2026 6:11:55 AM PDT by No name given ( Anonymous is who you’ll know me as )
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To: No name given

I didn’t expect anyone here to believe her statement.


16 posted on 06/28/2026 6:23:57 AM PDT by posterchild
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To: DFG

Good for her. F**k the rest of the world. USA!


17 posted on 06/28/2026 6:41:22 AM PDT by montag813
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To: DFG

“Life is hard, but it’s harder when you’re stupid.” —John Wayne

“Life is hard if you’re stupid, but it’s not so bad if you’re a pretty girl.” —Abigail Velez (probably)


18 posted on 06/28/2026 6:52:28 AM PDT by Apparatchik (Русские свиньи, идите домой)
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To: BenLurkin

“I personally believe . . .”


19 posted on 06/28/2026 6:56:03 AM PDT by FoxInSocks ("Hope is not a course of action." — M. O'Neal, USMC)
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To: DFG
Americans is that they feel it’s like a flex to say “I don’t even know where they are on a map,”

Yeah, and I don't know even know what "feel it's like a flex" means either.

20 posted on 06/28/2026 8:34:00 AM PDT by libertylover (The HBM (Has Been Media) is almost all AGENDA-DRIVEN and HATE-DRIVEN, not-truth driven)
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