Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is portion of nan Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a practice betwixt immoderate of nan champion media organisations from nan 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is moving previews from 3 countries each time successful nan run-up to nan tourney kicking disconnected connected 11 June.

The plan

To opportunity Bosnia and Herzegovina’s qualification for nan World Cup comes arsenic a astonishment would beryllium an understatement. A squad that had managed only 4 wins successful their erstwhile 19 matches crossed 2 qualification cycles arrived astatine a crossroads erstwhile Sergej Barbarez took complete successful 2024. The run that followed was chaotic, affectional and occasionally irrational, which still feels for illustration nan astir authentic explanation of Bosnian shot itself. But Barbarez’s broadside someway recovered a measurement done it all, eliminating Wales and Italy successful melodramatic playoffs and reaching nan World Cup for only nan 2nd clip successful nan country’s history.

The erstwhile skipper had waited years for nan job, truthful agelong that he had not coached anyplace successful nan meantime. He played master poker and enjoyed status earlier nan Bosnian FA yet sewage successful touch. He gathered adjacent friends and erstwhile teammates astir him: Emir Spahic became sporting director, while Sasa Papac and Zlatan Bajramovic joined nan coaching staff.

In Barbarez’s first year, 16 players made their debuts, astir of them raised and developed abroad, from Sweden and Germany to Austria and nan United States. That became nan instauration of this caller Bosnia side. Barbarez whitethorn person gone winless successful his first 8 matches and travel nether dense criticism, but he insisted that he first needed to rebuild nan squad’s mentality.

Bosnia do not play particularly beautiful shot nether nan coach and systems alteration regularly – usually betwixt 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 – but formations quickly go secondary erstwhile matches move emotional, and pinch Bosnia they usually do.

The team’s personality is built astir fierce defending, nonstop shot and speedy transitions. Young players specified arsenic Kerim Alajbegovic, Esmir Bajraktarevic, Tarik Muharemovic and Amar Dedic person brought caller power to a squad still led by nan seasoned Edin Dzeko. Bosnia are improbable to predominate galore matches successful Group B – against Canada, Switzerland and Qatar – but they person capable quality, affectional power and unpredictability to go 1 of nan tournament’s much uncomfortable teams.

The coach

Sergej Barbarez spent years criticising nan measurement Bosnian shot was tally and had almost stopped expecting nan telephone from Sarajevo altogether, having first expressed an liking successful nan domiciled successful 2009. Fifteen years later he took complaint of nan nationalist squad – pinch nary erstwhile coaching acquisition – for nan first squad against England astatine nan property of 52.

A erstwhile skipper and cult figure, Barbarez arrived promising honesty, affectional relationship and a complete reset aft years of dysfunction astir nan nationalist team. He continued to repetition nan aforesaid connection astir passion, pridefulness and nan work of representing nan state – and successful nan extremity this young squad absorbed it. After playoff victories over Wales and Italy, his position only grew further; nan triumph against Italy transformed him from poker-playing outsider into 1 of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s astir important ever sporting figures.

Star player

Edin Dzeko continues to beryllium an inspirational beingness astatine nan property of 40. Photograph: Armin Durgut/AP

There are normal footballers and past location is Edin Dzeko. Even astatine 40, everything still someway revolves astir Edin. Bosnia and Herzegovina’s skipper remains nan country’s top footballer, their all-time starring goalscorer and nan reference constituent of an full generation. Younger players successful nan squad speak astir him pinch a reverence bordering connected disbelief.

Dzeko nary longer dominates matches physically nan measurement he erstwhile did astatine Wolfsburg aliases Manchester City, but his knowing of space, timing and unit moments remains elite. During nan playoffs he again delivered erstwhile Bosnia needed him most. “As agelong arsenic I consciousness I tin help, I’ll beryllium here,” he said recently. Bosnia would not beryllium astatine this World Cup without him.

One to watch

Kerim Alajbegovic, astatine 18, whitethorn already beryllium nan astir people talented attacking talent Bosnia and Herzegovina person produced since Miralem Pjanic. The midfielder, who spent a play pinch Red Bull Salzburg earlier Bayer Leverkusen triggered a buyout clause, is arriving astatine nan tourney pinch nan fearless cognition immoderate players person astatine that age. It is not only his method that stands out, but his characteristic too. Barbarez trusted nan 18-year-old to return penalties successful some playoff shootouts – and Alajbegovic responded pinch complete calmness. Elegant betwixt nan lines and fearless successful possession, he feels for illustration nan look of Bosnia’s adjacent generation.

Unsung hero

Bosnia and Herzegovina spent years producing centre-backs who defended first and worried astir nan shot later. However, Tarik Muharemovic feels for illustration nan first 1 shaped by an wholly different mindset. Born successful Slovenia and developed successful Austria earlier moving done Italian shot pinch Juventus and Sassuolo, nan left-footed defender has softly go 1 of nan players Barbarez trusts most.

He is not particularly loud, fierce aliases dramatic, which, for a defender, usually makes group successful Balkan shot suspicious. Instead Muharemovic solves problems calmly, carries nan shot guardant and gives Bosnia thing they lacked for years – composure.

Probable starting XI

What to expect from fans

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s support is affectional moreover by Balkan standards. Some fans will recreation from Bosnia itself, others from immense diaspora communities crossed Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland and nan US. Once together they usually go 1 loud, restless crowd erstwhile matches begin. World Cups matter enormously because they hap truthful rarely; much than 100,000 group celebrated qualification connected nan streets of Sarajevo alone.

Part of nan support is organised done nan BHFanaticos ultra group, who travel nan nationalist squad successful different sports and thrust nan ambiance passim matches. Expect immense blue-and-yellow flags, fleur-de-lis symbols from medieval Bosnia, changeless singing, drums, fume and choreographies. And agelong nights astir games too, because Bosnians thin to observe each mini shot infinitesimal arsenic if it mightiness ne'er hap again.

Relationship pinch nan US/Trump?

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s narration pinch nan United States is mostly positive, though Bosnians thin to reason astir authorities pinch nan aforesaid power they reserve for shot referees. Many still subordinate America pinch yet helping extremity nan warfare successful nan 1990s, while nan US coming hosts a immense Bosnian diaspora, peculiarly astir St Louis, which often jokingly describes itself arsenic “the fourth-largest metropolis successful Bosnia”.

As for Donald Trump, opinions are divided, which successful Bosnia usually intends everyone is unhappy for wholly different reasons. Still travelling supporters look acold much irritated by Fifa than nan White House. The main title has been logistical: soul flights, absurd distances and summons prices that make this tourney consciousness little for illustration 1 World Cup and much for illustration 3 abstracted ones accidentally stitched together.

Written by Sasa Ibrulj for Skaut Sport