Edin Džeko — Bosnia & Herzegovina World Cup 2026 Squad

Career Highlights

Edin Dzeko has scored 73 goals for Bosnia and Herzegovina — 42 more than second-placed Vedad Ibisevic — a dominance unmatched in any other European national team record list. His 50 goals across all competitions for Roma in 2016-17 set a club single-season record that still stands. He scored the 88th-minute equaliser against QPR on the final day of the 2011-12 Premier League season that kept Manchester City title hopes alive before Sergio Aguero famous winner. No active player at the 2026 World Cup has scored more international goals. He was voted Bosnian Footballer of the Year nine times.

Club Career

Dzeko made his name at Wolfsburg, scoring 26 Bundesliga goals in 2009-10 and winning the title under Felix Magath the previous season. Manchester City paid €37 million for him in 2011, and across five seasons he scored 72 goals, including 14 in the 2013-14 title campaign. Roma signed him for €9 million in 2015 and he delivered 119 goals in 260 appearances across six seasons, including 29 Serie A goals in 2016-17 alone. He moved to Fenerbahce on a free in 2023, scored 21 league goals in his first Turkish season, then joined Schalke 04 in 2025 as a veteran presence for their return to the Bundesliga.

International Career & World Cup History

Dzeko headed the goal against Lithuania in October 2013 that qualified Bosnia for their first-ever World Cup, a moment that stopped the country. At the 2014 tournament he scored against Iran in the group stage, Bosnia only win at a World Cup. He has captained the team since 2012 and has played through a generation where Bosnia lacked qualifying depth, finishing third in their group behind Belgium and Wales in 2018 qualifying and behind France and Ukraine in 2022. At 148 caps, only three European players have made more international appearances.

World Cup 2026 Outlook

Dzeko at 40 cannot play 90 minutes at tournament intensity, but his value lies in what he offers in 30-minute cameos and in the dressing room. His aerial ability — he wins 64 percent of duels — remains elite and gives Bosnia a direct option from crosses and set pieces. Bosnia face an uphill battle to escape the group, and Dzeko presence as a focal point frees space for younger forwards like Smail Prevljak. If Bosnia are trailing in the second half and need a goal, Dzeko is still the man you want on the end of a cross. His career longevity is extraordinary: he has scored 10 or more club goals in 16 consecutive seasons.