Bosnia-Herzegovina team profile - FIFA World Cup 2026
In the build-up to FIFA World Cup 2026 in USA, Canada and Mexico, we shine a spotlight on Bosnia-Herzegovina.
FIFA World Ranking: 65
Confederation: UEFA
Who is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s head coach for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Sergej Barbarez. Capped 47 times by his country as a player, Barbarez has led the national team since April 2024.
Who is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s captain for FIFA World Cup 2026 is Edin Dzeko. He is not only his nation’s most capped player, but also their record goalscorer.
How many times have Bosnia-Herzegovina participated in a FIFA World Cup before 2026?
1 – 2014
What is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s best performance at a FIFA World Cup?
Group Stage – 2014
How did Bosnia-Herzegovina qualify for FIFA World Cup 2026?
Bosnia-Herzegovina qualified for FIFA World Cup 2026 through the UEFA play-offs after the group stage of UEFA qualification saw them finish in second-place. Teams were drawn into 12 groups with the winners all automatically qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2026, whilst the runners-up and best four UEFA Nations League group winners competed in the play-offs.
After eight games, Bosnia-Herzegovina finished runners-up in Group H on 17 points with five wins, two draws and one defeat, two points below group winners Austria. Had Bosnia-Herzegovina beaten Austria in the final round of matches, they would’ve finished top of the group and not needed to go through the play-offs.
Confirmation of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification came on March 31, 2026 after a penalty shootout victory over Italy in their play-off final following a 1-1 draw after extra-time. Prior to that game, Bosnia-Herzegovina had beaten Wales in their semi-final, also on penalties after drawing 1-1 in Cardiff.
Who are Bosnia-Herzegovina’s star players?
Edin Dzeko (Schalke 04) is set to join an exclusive club of players to have competed at a FIFA World Cup aged 40 or older. A physical striker, notoriously strong in the air and an inspirational leader, Dzeko has racked up over 70 international goals across his career, scoring at least once in each of the last 19 years since his first back in 2007. Three-time Bosnian footballer of the year, Dzeko is a two-time English Premier League winner with Man City, also winning two Coppa Italia trophies whilst at Inter Milan.
Ermedin Demirovic (Borussia Monchengladbach) is a regular goalscorer in the Bundesliga and is likely to partner Dzeko in attack, whilst defender Amar Dedic (Benfica) has established himself as an important player for Bosnia-Herzegovina with both his defensive and offensive abilities worth highlighting.
Who is in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s group at FIFA World Cup 2026?
Bosnia-Herzegovina are in Group B, which consists of the following teams:
Canada
Bosnia-Herzegovina
Qatar
Switzerland
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Group B fixtures are as follows:
Canada vs Bosnia-Herzegovina: Friday June 12, 2026 – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm UK
Switzerland vs Bosnia-Herzegovina: Thursday June 18, 2026 – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm UK
Bosnia-Herzegovina vs Qatar: Wednesday June 24, 2026 – 3:00pm ET, 8:00pm UK
All kick-off dates are based on a local kick-off time
Where is Bosnia-Herzegovina’s base camp at FIFA World Cup 2026?
RSL Stadium – Sandy, Utah
Expert prediction for Bosnia-Herzegovina’s chances at FIFA World Cup 2026
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s reward for reaching FIFA World Cup 2026 is a group that contains no nations currently in the top 15 of the FIFA Men’s World Rankings. Canada, Qatar and Switzerland are three opponents that Bosnia-Herzegovina should not fear, especially after knocking out Italy in the play-offs and with the forward options available to Sergej Barbarez, expect them to at least get the better of Qatar in their final Group B fixture.
Bosnia-Herzegovina will likely go into that third round of fixtures knowing what they need in order to qualify for the round of 32, whether it be as one of the top eight third-placed finishers or better. Sergej Barbarez has this team set up well off the ball and a huge threat from set pieces, which may well be a common feature for Bosnia-Herzegovina at FIFA World Cup 2026. But whilst this may be good enough to see them make it through Group B, the knockout stage should prove a bridge too far.
What round will Bosnia-Herzegovina reach at FIFA World Cup 2026? Round of 32
