Bosnia Announce 2026 World Cup Squad – Dzeko, Mahmic and Alajbegovic Included

Dzeko, Mahmic, Alajbegovic, Bosnia’s World Cup squad revealed  

Sergej Barbarez’s Bosnia squad mixes veterans like Dzeko and Kolasinac with new faces Ermin Mahmic and teenager Kerim Alajbegovic ahead of Group B clashes with Canada, Qatar and Switzerland.

Bosnia blend experience and youth for their return to the World Cup. Dzeko leads the line, while Mahmic and 18-year-old Alajbegovic get the nod...

Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez has mixed experience, youth, and fresh talent in his World Cup squad announcement on Monday. Veteran striker Edin Dzeko will spearhead the attack, while uncapped midfielder Ermin Mahmic earns a first call-up.

Dzeko remains Bosnia’s most capped player and record goalscorer. At 40, he’s one of only two players from the squad who also featured at their sole previous World Cup in 2014, the other being defender Sead Kolasinac.

Bosnia booked their World Cup spot by beating Wales and Italy on penalties in the playoffs. Dzeko suffered a shoulder injury in extra time against Italy in the final and missed the shootout. He then sat out four games for Schalke 04, but returned off the bench in their last two matches to calm concerns about his fitness for the tournament. Bosnia will take on co-hosts Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland in Group B.

Barbarez moved quickly to include Ermin Mahmic after FIFA cleared the 21-year-old Austrian-born midfielder to switch allegiance to Bosnia earlier in May.

Mahmic has represented Austria at U17 and U21 level, while also featuring for Bosnia’s U19 side. Barbarez believes the midfielder is set for a long future 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 position of eight and 10, he has depth, the profile of a player that ‌we don't have much. A player who will continue to develop, with the aim that Bosnia will have good players in the next 10 years.”

At just 18, Kerim Alajbegovic is the youngest player in the squad, but the winger has already shown he can handle high-pressure moments.

He made his mark off the bench against Wales by assisting Dzeko’s equalizer and netting the winning penalty in the shootout. He also scored from the spot when Bosnia defeated Italy.

Bosnia have two friendlies lined up, facing North Macedonia in Sarajevo on May 29th and Panama in St. Louis. Their World Cup campaign then kicks off against Canada in Toronto on June 12th.

Selektor Sergej Barbarez odabrao je 26 reprezentativaca koji će predstavljati Bosnu i Hercegovinu na Svjetskom prvenstvu u SAD, Kanadi i Meksiku.#NFSBiH #zmajevi #FIFAWorldCup2026 #dreambigdreambih pic.twitter.com/tnmmSNEXYx

— NFS BIH (@NFSBiH) May 11, 2026

Bosnia Squad

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)

Forwards: Ermedin ⁠Demirovic (VfB Stuttgart), Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj), ‌Samed Bazdar (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Haris Tabakovic (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Edin Dzeko (Schalke 04)