After 12 years in the wilderness, Bosnia and Herzegovina returned to the World Cup their first appearance since 2014. Sergej Barbarez was the man tasked with guiding them back.
Bosnia and Herzegovina return to a World Cup for the second time ever after their 2014 debut. The Zmajevi qualified by beating Italy in the European playoff final a historic result that eliminated the four-time world champions. Coach Sergej Barbarez, who took over in 2024, leads a squad anchored by Edin Džeko, Miralem Pjanić, and Sead Kolašinac.
Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced an inconsistent group stage, mixing moments of promise with frustrating setbacks. In the knockout rounds, they fell to United States in the Round of 32. United States proved to be a step too far, and Bosnia and Herzegovina's campaign came to a decisive end in the Round of 32.
1won1drawn2lost
5scored8conceded
Just 1 win in 4 matches conceded 8 in 4 matches.
Edin Džeko, 40, remains Bosnia's all-time top scorer and captain. A former Manchester City, Roma, and Fenerbahçe striker, 2026 is his second and almost certainly last World Cup.
7yellow1red
2.0per match
Muharemovic sent off vs Switzerland.
Ermin Mahmic led Bosnia and Herzegovina's attack with 2 goals at the 2026 World Cup. A specialist in decisive moments, with goals in the closing stages that changed the course of matches.
Barbarez, 53, played for Bosnia at Euro 2004 qualifying and had managerial stints with Borussia Dortmund U19 and Hajduk Split. His tactical flexibility was credited with the playoff-final upset of Italy. Leading Bosnia and Herzegovina at his first World Cup just 1 win in 4 under Barbarez.
