Only one prior World Cup — the 2014 debut in Brazil. 2026 is the Dragons' SECOND appearance, sealed by knocking four-time winners Italy out on penalties in Zenica.
The 21-year-old PSV winger who tucked away the decisive penalty against Italy to send Bosnia to the World Cup — the bright young future to Džeko's storied past.
Captain, talisman and record cap-holder — still leading the line at 40 in 2026
All-time top scorer by a distance; more than the next two combined
⚠ The most-used eleven in recent matches under Sergej Barbarez (June 2026) — a snapshot of recent form, never a forecast.
| PLAYER | POS | ERA | CAPS | GLS | FILE NOTE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edin Džeko #11 | FW | 2007– | 148 | 73 | The Bosnian Diamond. Record caps, record goals, and at 40 still the first name on the team sheet. |
| Miralem Pjanić #8 | AM | 2008–2024 | 115 | 17 | The Little Prince — a passing range that ran the midfield from Lyon to Roma to Juventus. |
| Zvjezdan Misimović #10 | AM | 2004–2018 | 84 | 25 | The conductor of the side that reached Brazil 2014; vision first, sprinting optional. |
| Vedad Ibišević #9 | FW | 2007–2018 | 83 | 28 | Scored the goal that clinched 2014 qualification — and the nation's first ever World Cup goal. |
| Emir Spahić #5 | CB | 2003–2018 | 94 | 6 | The captain at the back for a generation; granite at centre-half, armband on his sleeve. |
| Asmir Begović #1 | GK | 2009–2020 | 63 | 0 | Premier League goalkeeper and once scorer of a 91-metre goal — though never, alas, for Bosnia. |
| Sergej Barbarez #7 | FW | 1998–2006 | 47 | 17 | Bundesliga's joint-top scorer in 2001 as a player; now the man in the dugout in 2026. |
| Elvir Bolić #9 | FW | 1996–2006 | 51 | 22 | An early Dragon who once knocked Manchester United out of Europe — and 22 goals for the cause. |
| Senad Lulić #19 | LM | 2008–2017 | 57 | 4 | Lazio's tireless left flank; a quiet, decade-long engine for club and country. |
| Sead Kolašinac #5 | LB | 2013– | 65 | 0 | The Tank. Atalanta's bulldozing full-back — and still going strong into a second World Cup. |
A young nation with an old soul up front. Bosnia and Herzegovina are not here in numbers of stars or trophies — just one prior finals and a single famous win over Iran — but they arrive in 2026 having dumped Italy out on penalties, which the Almanac files under 'poetic justice.' Edin Džeko, 40 and undimmed, leads them one last time. A second chapter for the Dragons, and a sentimental one.