Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Bosnia and Herzegovina

Nickname(s)	Zmajevi (The Dragons) Zlatni ljiljani (The Golden Lilies)
Association	Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina (N/FSBiH)
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Head coach	Sergej Barbarez
Captain	Edin Džeko
Most caps	Edin Džeko (139)
Top scorer	Edin Džeko (67)
Home stadium	Bilino Polje / Grbavica
FIFA code	BIH
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	35 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest	13 (August 2013)
Lowest	173 (September 1996)
Elo ranking
Current	20 16 (3 March 2019)
Highest	20 (June 2013, February 2019)
Lowest	87 (October 1999)
First international
Albania 2–0 Bosnia and Herzegovina  (Tirana, Albania; 30 November 1995)
Biggest win
Bosnia and Herzegovina 7–0 Estonia  (Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina; 10 September 2008)  Liechtenstein 1–8 Bosnia and Herzegovina  (Vaduz, Liechtenstein; 7 September 2012)
Biggest defeat
Germany 7–0 Bosnia and Herzegovina  (Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany; 16 November 2024)
World Cup
Appearances	1 (first in 2014)
Best result	Group stage (2014)
Website	nfsbih.ba

The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team represents Bosnia and Herzegovina in international football games. They are often called the "Dragons" (Zmajevi) or sometimes the "Golden Lilies." The team is managed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Their biggest success was reaching the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They won their qualifying group to get there. At the World Cup, they played against Argentina, Nigeria, and Iran. They lost closely to Argentina and Nigeria but beat Iran.

The team has never played in the UEFA European Championship. Their highest ever FIFA World Ranking was 13th in August 2013.

History of the Dragons

Bosnia and Herzegovina's team in a friendly match against Austria in 2015.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team has been getting better and better in recent years. They have often reached play-off games and even played in one FIFA World Cup.

Before 1992, players from Bosnia played for the Yugoslavia team. After Bosnia became an independent country, a new football team was formed.

The team first started playing in major qualifiers for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. They finished fourth in their group. They also had tough times in the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2000 and the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

They came very close to qualifying for their first big tournament, UEFA Euro 2004. They just missed out by one goal against Denmark.

Bosnia and Herzegovina did not qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup or UEFA Euro 2008. They were unlucky twice, losing in the play-offs to Portugal for both the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012.

First World Cup Appearance

Bosnia and Herzegovina finally made it to their first major tournament, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, by beating Lithuania in October 2013.

At the World Cup, they finished third in their group. They won their first match 3–1 against Iran. They lost 1–0 to Nigeria in a game where a goal by Edin Džeko was wrongly disallowed.

Recent Campaigns

In the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2016, Bosnia and Herzegovina finished third. After a tough start, their performance got much better. They won five of their last six games. However, they lost in the play-offs to Republic of Ireland.

They also did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

In the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B, Bosnia and Herzegovina won their group. This meant they got a spot in the play-offs for UEFA Euro 2020. But they lost to Northern Ireland on penalties and missed out again.

Recently, under a new coach, Ivaylo Petev, the team won their group in the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B. This earned them promotion to a higher division and a play-off spot for UEFA Euro 2024. However, they lost to Ukraine in the play-offs and were eliminated.

Team Look and Feel

Team Nicknames

The most popular nickname for the Bosnian national teams is "Zmajevi," which means "Dragons." This name became popular during a World Cup qualifying game in 2009.

Many fans believe this nickname comes from a famous Bosnian general, Husein Gradaščević. He was known as the "Dragon of Bosnia."

Sometimes, the team is also called the Golden Lilies. This nickname came from the country's old flag and coat of arms, which featured a golden lily. The golden lily was a symbol of the old Bosnian royal family.

Home Stadiums

Grbavica Stadium in Sarajevo.

The national team often plays its home games at Grbavica Stadium in Sarajevo. This stadium was updated in 2018.

They also use Bilino Polje Stadium in Zenica for many matches. This stadium was built in 1972 and has been improved over the years to meet international standards.

Another stadium they have used is Koševo City Stadium. The team's main training ground is the Bosnia and Herzegovina FA Training Centre in Zenica, built with help from UEFA.

Supporters

Bosnian fans in Brussels in 2005.

Bosnian football fans come from all over the world, especially from Europe, North America, and Australia. Many of them belong to fan groups like BHFanaticos and Armija Zmajeva (Dragons Army).

Bosnian fans are very passionate. In one game against Norway in 2007, fans caused a delay by throwing flares onto the field. They were protesting against problems in the Football Federation at the time.

Team Kits

The traditional colors for Bosnia and Herzegovina's football kits are blue and white. These colors come from the country's flag.

Currently, the team's kits are made by the Spanish company Kelme. Some of the team's main sponsors include m:tel and Coca-Cola.

Here's a quick look at who has made their kits over the years:

Period	Kit Provider
1996–1999	Patrick
1999–2000	Adidas
2000–2005	Reusch
2005–2014	Legea
2014–2023	Adidas
2023–present	Kelme

Current Team and Coaches

Current Coaching Staff

The current head coach of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team is Sergej Barbarez. He works with a team of assistant coaches, a goalkeeping coach, and other staff to help the players.

Position	Name
Head coach	Sergej Barbarez
Assistant coaches	Zlatan Bajramović
	Mirko Hrgović
	Ninoslav Milenković
Goalkeeping coach	Kenan Hasagić
Fitness coach	Marko Čavka
Technical director	Emir Spahić

Current Squad Players

Here are some of the players who were recently called up for the national team. These are the players who represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in big international games.

• The following players were called up for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A matches against Germany and Netherlands in November 2024.
• Caps (games played) and goals are correct as of 19 November  2024 (2024 -11-19)^[update], after the match against Netherlands.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Nikola Vasilj	(1995-12-02) 2 December 1995 (age 29)	14	0	St. Pauli
22	1GK	Martin Zlomislić	(1998-08-16) 16 August 1998 (age 26)	1	0	Rijeka
12	1GK	Osman Hadžikić	(1996-03-12) 12 March 1996 (age 29)	0	0	Velež Mostar
3	2DF	Ermin Bičakčić	(1990-01-24) 24 January 1990 (age 35)	41	3	Eintracht Braunschweig
	2DF	Jusuf Gazibegović	(2000-03-11) 11 March 2000 (age 25)	21	0	Sturm Graz
7	2DF	Amar Dedić	(2002-08-18) 18 August 2002 (age 22)	16	1	Red Bull Salzburg
16	2DF	Adrian Leon Barišić	(2001-07-19) 19 July 2001 (age 23)	9	0	Basel
	2DF	Nikola Katić	(1996-10-10) 10 October 1996 (age 28)	6	0	Zürich
	2DF	Nihad Mujakić	(1998-04-15) 15 April 1998 (age 27)	5	0	Partizan
18	2DF	Tarik Muharemović	(2003-02-28) 28 February 2003 (age 22)	4	0	Sassuolo
19	2DF	Nail Omerović	(2002-10-20) 20 October 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Osijek
2	2DF	Nidal Čelik	(2006-07-17) 17 July 2006 (age 18)	0	0	Sarajevo
6	3MF	Benjamin Tahirović	(2003-03-03) 3 March 2003 (age 22)	14	0	Ajax
20	3MF	Haris Hajradinović	(1994-02-18) 18 February 1994 (age 31)	13	1	Kasımpaşa
17	3MF	Dženis Burnić	(1998-05-22) 22 May 1998 (age 27)	8	0	Karlsruher
15	3MF	Armin Gigović	(2002-04-06) 6 April 2002 (age 23)	8	0	Holstein Kiel
8	3MF	Denis Huseinbašić	(2001-07-03) 3 July 2001 (age 24)	7	0	Köln
13	3MF	Ivan Bašić	(2002-04-30) 30 April 2002 (age 23)	6	0	Orenburg
23	3MF	Esmir Bajraktarević	(2005-03-10) 10 March 2005 (age 20)	6	0	New England Revolution
5	3MF	Ivan Šunjić	(1996-10-09) 9 October 1996 (age 28)	2	0	Pafos
14	3MF	Ifet Đakovac	(1997-12-05) 5 December 1997 (age 27)	1	0	TSC
11	4FW	Edin Džeko (captain)	(1986-03-17) 17 March 1986 (age 39)	139	67	Fenerbahçe
10	4FW	Ermedin Demirović	(1998-03-25) 25 March 1998 (age 27)	31	3	Stuttgart
	4FW	Haris Tabaković	(1994-06-20) 20 June 1994 (age 31)	5	0	TSG Hoffenheim
9	4FW	Luka Kulenović	(1999-09-29) 29 September 1999 (age 25)	2	0	Heracles Almelo
21	4FW	Samed Baždar	(2004-01-31) 31 January 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Real Zaragoza

Player Records

Most Games Played

Edin Džeko has played the most games and scored the most goals for Bosnia.

These players have played the most games for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Players in bold are still playing for the national team.

Top Goal Scorers

These players have scored the most goals for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Team Captains

Emir Spahić was the captain when Bosnia played in their first FIFA World Cup. Here are the players who have captained the team in ten or more matches.

Team Achievements

FIFA World Cup History

Bosnia and Herzegovina has played in one FIFA World Cup.

Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1930 to 1990	Part of  Yugoslavia
1994	Could not enter
1998	Did not qualify
2002	Did not qualify
2006
2010
2014	Group stage	20th	3	1	0	2	4	4	Squad
2018	Did not qualify
2022
Total	Group stage	1/7	3	1	0	2	4	4	—

UEFA European Championship History

Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet qualified for the UEFA European Championship.

Year	Round	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960 to 1992	Part of  Yugoslavia
1996	Did not enter
2000	Did not qualify
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Total	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

UEFA Nations League History

The UEFA Nations League is a newer competition. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been promoted and relegated between divisions.

Season	Division	Group	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	Rank
2018–19	B	3	4	3	1	0	5	1		13th
2020–21	A	1	6	0	2	4	3	11		15th
2022–23	B	3	6	3	2	1	8	8		18th
2024–25	A	3	6	0	2	4	4	17		16th

Other Tournament Wins

Bosnia and Herzegovina has also won one smaller tournament:

• Kirin Cup
  • Champions (1): 2016

Images for kids

• 

  Asmir Begović is Bosnia's record holder in clean sheets.

• 

  Hasan Salihamidžić scored Bosnia's first goal in October 1996, and their 100th goal in June 2005.

See also

In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Bosnia y Herzegovina para niños

• Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-21 football team
• Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-19 football team
• Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-17 football team
• Bosnia and Herzegovina national under-15 football team
• Bosnia and Herzegovina women's national football team
• Bosnia and Herzegovina women's national under-19 football team
• Bosnia and Herzegovina women's national under-17 football team
• Bosnian footballer of the year award – Idol of the nation