Edin Dzeko, 40, named in Bosnia's 2026 World Cup squad

Bosnia-Herzegovina have included veteran striker Edin Dzeko in their 2026 World Cup squad at age 40.

Dzeko joins rare World Cup list Former Manchester City forward Edin Dzeko is about to enter an elite group of players aged 40 or older to have appeared at a World Cup after being selected in Bosnia-Herzegovina's preliminary squad for the upcoming summer tournament. Only Cameroon striker Roger Milla has played in a World Cup after turning 40, having scored at the 1994 event. Six goalkeepers have also achieved this milestone: Egypt's Essam el Hadary (45 in 2018), Colombia's Faryd Mondragon, Northern Ireland's Pat Jennings, England's Peter Shilton, Italy's Dino Zoff, and Tunisia's Ali Boumnijel. Croatia's Luka Modric (40) and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (41) are also expected to feature for their nations this summer. ## Dzeko's qualification impact for Bosnia Edin Dzeko, with 148 international caps, played in seven of Bosnia's eight qualifying matches in Group H and also featured in both the semi-final and final of the play-offs that secured their place. He contributed a goal in the semi-final victory over Wales, marking his 73rd international strike. Bosnia have now become the first nation to announce their 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. This will be only the second World Cup appearance for Bosnia as a nation. ## Bosnia's 2026 World Cup group stage Bosnia have been drawn into Group B for the 2026 World Cup alongside Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland. The tournament will mark their second-ever World Cup participation, with their only previous appearance coming in 2014. The squad composition reflects a blend of experienced domestic players and talents plying their trade across Europe. ## Bosnia's full 26-man squad announced The 26-man squad includes a mix of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and forwards with experience across various European leagues. Goalkeepers in the squad are Nikola Vasilj (St Pauli), Martin Zlomislic (Rijeka), and Osman Hadzikic (Slaven Belupo). The defensive options feature Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta), Amar Dedic (Benfica), and several other European-based players. ## Midfield and forward selections The midfielders selected include Amir Hadziahmetovic (Hull City), Ivan Sunjic (Pafos), and Benjamin Tahirovic (Brondby), among others with club experience in multiple leagues. Forwards in the squad include Ermedin Demirovic (VfB Stuttgart), Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj), and veteran striker Edin Dzeko (Schalke 04), who will lead the attack at the tournament. The squad list provides a snapshot of Bosnia's talent pool heading into the competition.