Bosnia and Herzegovina manager Sergej Barbarez opted for a mix of experience, youth and new faces when he announced his FIFA World Cup squad on Monday, with veteran striker Edin Dzeko leading the line and also including uncapped midfielder Ermin Mahmic.
Dzeko is Bosnia’s most capped player and all-time top scorer. The 40-year-old is one of two survivors from his country’s only previous World Cup appearance in 2014, alongside defender Sead Kolasinac.
Bosnia squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup
Goalkeepers:
Nikola Vasilj (St. Pauli), Martin Zlomislic (Rijeka), Osman Hadzikic (Slaven Belupo)
Defenders:
Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta), Amar Dedic (Benfica), Nihad Mujakic (Gaziantep), Nikola Katic (Schalke 04), Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo), Stjepan Radeljic (Rijeka), Dennis Hadzikadunic (Sampdoria), Nidal Celik (Lens)
Midfielders:
Amir Hadziahmetovic (Hull City), Ivan Sunjic (Pafos), Ivan Basic (Astana), Dzenis Burnic (Karlsruher SC), Ermin Mahmic (Slovan Liberec), Benjamin Tahirovic (Brondby), Amar Memic (Viktoria Plzen), Armin Gigovic (Young Boys), Kerim Alajbegovic (RB Salzburg), Esmir Bajraktarevic (PSV Eindhoven)
Forward:
Ermedin Demirovic (VfB Stuttgart), Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj), Samed Bazdar (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Haris Tabakovic (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Edin Dzeko (Schalke 04).
Bosnia defeated Wales and Italy on penalties to advance to the play-offs and Dzeko suffered a shoulder injury at the end of extra time against the Italians in the final and was unable to take part in the shootout.
Dzeko subsequently missed four games for his club Schalke 04, but came off the bench in the final two matches to allay concerns over his suitability for the World Cup, where Bosnia will join Qatar and Switzerland against Canada in Group B.
Barbarez wasted no time in calling up Mahmic after the 21-year-old Austrian-born player had his request to change his allegiance to Bosnia approved by FIFA earlier in May.
Mahmic played for Austria at Under 17 and Under 21 level and also played for the Bosnian Under 19 team, and Barbarez is already eyeing him to have a long career with the national team.
“You can’t believe how happy and proud he is to be with us,” Barbarez told reporters. «He plays in the positions of eight and ten, he has depth, the profile of a player that we do not have much. A player who will continue to develop, with the aim that Bosnia will have good players in the next ten years.»
Kerim Alajbegovic may be the youngest in the squad, but the 18-year-old winger has already proven he has the skills and temperament for the big stage.
Alajbegovic came off the bench against Wales, setting up Dzeko’s equalizer and scoring the winning penalty in the shootout, and also converted a penalty as Bosnia defeated Italy.
Bosnia will play two warm-up matches against North Macedonia in Sarajevo and Panama in St. Louis on May 29 and open its World Cup campaign against Canada on June 12 in Toronto.
Published on May 11, 2026
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