Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: Squad, Key Players, and Everything You Need to Know

The young Bosnia and Herzegovina side is aiming to make history at the FIFA World Cup, their second appearance ever. The excitement is massive: bringing joy to a long-awaited football nation and trying to advance from a group that looks relatively accessible for The Dragons.

The Bosnian national team blends experience and youth in a project filled with confidence, competitive hunger, and the memory of a qualification campaign that will be remembered as one of the most important moments in their football history.

Their path was historic. In the group stage, they fought until the end in a section shared with Austria, Romania, Cyprus, and San Marino. The Dragons won five matches but could not surpass Austria, finishing second and securing a playoff spot.

That is where the real journey began. The UEFA Path A paired them with Northern Ireland, Italy, and Wales. The match against Wales was dramatic. The British side took the lead through Daniel James, but in the 86th minute, the ever-reliable Edin Džeko kept the dream alive with the equalizer. The match went into extra time and eventually penalties, where Bosnia and Herzegovina prevailed 2–4.

The Azzurri arrived under heavy pressure after missing both the Russia 2018 World Cup and the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Fate set the decisive match in Zenica. Italy struck first through Moise Kean in the 15th minute, but Bosnia and Herzegovina held firm. In the 79th minute, Haris Tabaković equalized to send the match into extra time.

In the penalty shootout, Italian mistakes opened the door. The final kick was taken by Esmir Bajraktarević, born in the United States, who converted the decisive penalty to send Bosnia and Herzegovina back to a FIFA World Cup.

Bosnia and Herzegovina have only one previous World Cup experience. It came at Brazil 2014, when they were placed in Group F alongside Argentina, Nigeria, and Iran.

They debuted against Argentina and lost 2–1, but that match is remembered for their first-ever World Cup goal, scored by Vedad Ibišević. The second match was against Nigeria, a 1–0 defeat that eliminated them.

However, the final match was historic. Against Iran, they secured their first-ever World Cup victory with a memorable 3–1 win. Edin Džeko, Miralem Pjanić, and Avdija Vršajević became forever part of the nation’s football memory.

Beyond Edin Džeko, who at 40 is playing his final World Cup and remains the all-time top scorer of the national team with 73 goals, the key player to watch is Esmir Bajraktarević, who plays for PSV Eindhoven.

At just 21 years old, he represents the future of Bosnian football. Returning to the country of his birth, he does so in grand fashion. After representing United States youth national teams, he chose to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024. He scored the decisive penalty that qualified the team for the World Cup and arrives as one of the nation’s biggest hopes.

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