World Cup 2026: Edin Džeko, the 'old captain' who still symbolizes Bosnia

At 40 years old, the striker remains the undisputed leader of the Bosnian national team.

World Cup 2026 Today at 06:11

Aliou Toundé

News Editor

World Cup 2026: Edin Džeko, the 'old captain' who still symbolizes Bosnia

12.06.26 15:00 World Cup

Canada

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina arrive at the 2026 World Cup with a powerful image: a team still led by Edin Džeko.

Twelve years after their historic first qualification in 2014, the 40-year-old striker remains the backbone of the squad. Described as a true "locker room leader," he continues to embody the identity and fighting spirit of the national team. The road to this World Cup was anything but simple. Unlike 2014, Bosnia had to go through the play-offs, enduring tense but ultimately decisive matches to clinch their ticket to the tournament.

Edin Džeko is 40 years old.

He played in Bosnia's only other World Cup — Brazil 2014.

They didn't make it out of the group.

12 years later — he's still there.

73 international goals. All-time top scorer. All-time most appearances.

Miralem Pjanić retired. The golden… pic.twitter.com/iK8syXJObr
— Gaurav Kumar (@gkgaurav7) June 12, 2026

In these crucial moments, Džeko once again stepped up, scoring and carrying his team during the key phases of qualification. Bosnia will kick off the tournament against Canada, before facing Switzerland and Qatar. On paper, it's a manageable group, but Džeko's experience could prove to be the difference-maker. At 40, the captain continues to write a rare story at the highest international level—a player who remains indispensable, no matter how much time passes.