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Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team facts for kids

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Bosnia and Herzegovina
Shirt badge/Association crest
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 Decrease 1 (7 February 2019)
Highest 13 (August 2013)
Lowest 173 (September 1996)
Elo ranking
Current 20 Increase 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 (Bosnian: Fudbalska reprezentacija Bosne i Hercegovine; Croatian: Nogometna reprezentacija Bosne i Hercegovine; Serbian: Фудбалска репрезентација Босне и Херцеговине) represents Bosnia and Herzegovina in men's international football competitions, and is governed by the Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Until 1992, Bosnian footballers played for Yugoslavia.

Bosnia and Herzegovina achieved their best result when they reached the 2014 FIFA World Cup as winners of their qualifying group. They were eliminated after narrow group stage losses to Argentina and Nigeria and a win over Iran.

The national team has never taken part in a UEFA European Championship.

The team's highest FIFA World Ranking was 13th, achieved in August 2013.

History

20150331 2028 AUT BIH 2186
Bosnia and Herzegovina's squad in an international friendly against Austria in 2015

Bosnia and Herzegovina have seen a steady rise in their fortunes on the international football stage in recent times. Historically, they have managed multiple play-off appearances and qualified for one FIFA World Cup. More often than not, the team produces solid results in qualifiers and challenges for a top spot.

From 1920 to 1992, the players lined up for Yugoslavia, but following the outbreak of the Bosnian War and subsequent independence, a new football nation arose from the ashes.

The early period saw Bosnia and Herzegovina have to wait until the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to compete for a place in a major competition. Bosnia and Herzegovina finished fourth in a group that included Greece, Denmark, Croatia and Slovenia. This was then subsequently followed by further disappointment with lackluster campaigns in the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifiers, as well as the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

This early period was followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina coming very close to qualifying directly for their first major competition, UEFA Euro 2004, narrowly missing out by a single goal against Denmark.

Bosnia and Herzegovina failed to make the grade in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, despite being unbeaten at home, and the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, which saw their poor home form cost them. Bosnia and Herzegovina then experienced double heartbreak, bowing out twice in the playoffs to Portugal, first 2–0 on aggregate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup decider and then 6–2 on aggregate in the UEFA Euro 2012 decider.

Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their first major tournament, by beating Lithuania in October 2013. They managed to finish third in a group which included Argentina and won their first match 3–1 over Iran. Nigeria pipped them for second place in the group with a 1–0 win marred with controversy following an incorrectly-disallowed goal by Edin Džeko in the first half.

2014 FIFA World Cup Group F

Soccer Field Transparant.svg

Mujdža
Kolašinac
Misimović
Bosnia and Herzegovina's starting lineup in their opening World Cup match against Argentina

In the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers, Bosnia and Herzegovina finished third behind Belgium and Wales. After a bad start to the qualifiers with a surprise 2–1 defeat at home against Cyprus and managing just two points in four games, Safet Sušić was dismissed and replaced by Mehmed Baždarević.

After the slow start, Bosnian performance improved dramatically, with five wins in their remaining six matches, including victories over Wales and Israel along with three clean sheets. However, they ultimately failed to qualify after a two legged playoff encounter with the Republic of Ireland. Bosnia and Herzegovina failed to make back-to-back FIFA World Cups after failing to qualify to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Bosnia and Herzegovina won their UEFA Nations League group and guaranteed a playoffs berth for UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying. Still, they finished fourth in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying group with the manager Robert Prosinečki, missing out on direct qualification and entered the playoffs, and with new manager Dušan Bajević, they ultimately missed out on yet another Euro after losing to Northern Ireland on penalties. They finished bottom of Group 1 in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A, thus relegating them to the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B.

Following several years of disappointment, Bulgarian Ivaylo Petev was named as Bosnia and Herzegovina's new manager, marking the first time a Bosnia and Herzegovina manager was not from the former Yugoslavia. In their first campaign under Petev, Bosnia and Herzegovina were drawn into a group with 2018 FIFA World Cup champions France and kept their chances of qualification alive until the final two matches; ultimately failing to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also led the team to winning Group 3 of the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B, thus earning promotion back to 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A and guaranteed a play-off berth for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.

They suffered disappointment in their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying group that saw three managers: Faruk Hadžibegić, Meho Kodro and Savo Milošević pick up only one win each for a total of 9 points and entered the playoffs. There, they lost 2–1 to Ukraine and were eliminated from UEFA Euro 2024.

Team image

Nickname

A popular nickname of all Bosnian national teams is "Zmajevi", popularized by football TV commentator Mustafa Mijajlović during the Belgium vs. Bosnia and Herzegovina (2–4) 2010 WC qualification game on 28 March 2009.

General agreement among Bosnia and Herzegovina sports fans is that this nickname has historical context, as it is considered as an allusion to the famous Bosnian general Husein Gradaščević, who fought for Bosnian autonomy, and who was known as the "Dragon of Bosnia".

In both local and foreign media, they are sometimes referred to as the Golden Lilies, which was the original nickname given to all of the country's national teams by fans after independence, in reference to the official state insignia at the time (the flag and the coat of arms), which itself referred to the golden lily, the historical state insignia that was featured on the coat of arms of the ruling Bosnian medieval Kotromanić dynasty.

Home stadiums

Željo-Velež 03
Grbavica, in Sarajevo

Currently, the national team uses Grbavica Stadium as its home ground following its renovation in 2018.

Bosnia and Herzegovina also uses Bilino Polje Stadium, located in the city of Zenica, for many of its home games. The stadium, built and opened in 1972, underwent many reconstruction works since 2012 in order to comply with standards needed to host international games.

Another stadium Bosnia and Herzegovina has used is Koševo City Stadium.

Its training ground for domestic matches is the Bosnia and Herzegovina FA Training Centre in Zenica, which was opened in 2013 in conjunction with UEFA.

Supporters

Bosnia Soccer Fans at King Baudouin Stadium Brussels
Bosnian supporters in Brussels, 26 March 2005

A large number of national team's supporters come from Northern and Western Europe, North America, and some from as far away as Australia. Most of these fans are members of BHFanaticos, Belaj Boys, BHLegion, Armija Zmajeva (Dragons Army) and Ljuti Krajišnici groups.

In the game against Norway, at the Ullevål Stadium in Oslo on 24 March 2007, Bosnian fans caused an hour-long delay due to an unprecedented amount of flares that had been thrown onto the pitch in protest against corruption in the (now former) Football Federation of Bosnia. On 1 June 2008, former Bosnia and Herzegovina players Meho Kodro and Elvir Bolić organised a friendly humanitarian game in Sarajevo called "Kodro, Bola and Friends" between former Bosnian football legends, in order to gain support, to say its time for changes in the Bosnian Football Association. The game was organised to commence at the same time as Bosnia and Herzegovina national side faced Azerbaijan in a friendly in Zenica. The attendance in Sarajevo was 15,000 while in Zenica only about 50. The game in Sarajevo was organised by the Federalna TV who broadcast the humanitarian game live. A significant number of Bosnian International players were involved in the game, which ended 11–9 in favour of Team Kodro.

Kits

Bosnia and Herzegovina's traditional kit colours are blue and white, taken from the country's flag. While the current home kits are primarily blue, and the away kits are primarily white, this colour scheme was initially used in reverse order. This is due to the fact that the flag of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (RBiH), used before the Dayton Agreement, was predominately white.

The team kit is currently produced by Spanish sports company Kelme. The general sponsor of the team is m:tel. Also sponsoring the team are Coca-Cola, ASA Osiguranje, and Privredna banka Sarajevo.

The table below shows the history of kit manufacturers for the national football team of Bosnia and Herzegovina:

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

Results and fixtures

The following is a list of match results in the last 12 months, as well as any future matches that have been scheduled.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2024

Coaching staff

Current technical staff

Position Name
Head coach Bosnia and Herzegovina Sergej Barbarez
Assistant coaches Bosnia and Herzegovina Zlatan Bajramović
Bosnia and Herzegovina Mirko Hrgović
Bosnia and Herzegovina Ninoslav Milenković
Goalkeeping coach Bosnia and Herzegovina Kenan Hasagić
Fitness coach Bosnia and Herzegovina Marko Čavka
Scouts Bosnia and Herzegovina Siniša Mrkobrada
Bosnia and Herzegovina Saša Papac
Video analysts Finland Rasmus Jansson
Serbia Jasmin Kolašinac
Team doctors Bosnia and Herzegovina Adnan Hadžimuratović
Bosnia and Herzegovina Reuf Karabeg
Technical director Bosnia and Herzegovina Emir Spahić
Team secretary Bosnia and Herzegovina Darko Ljubojević

Coaching history

Name From To P W D L GF GA GD Win % Achievements
Bosnia and Herzegovina Muzurović, FuadFuad Muzurović 30 November 1995 7 November 1997 &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025 −4 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.89000038.89
Bosnia and Herzegovina Mušović, DžemaludinDžemaludin Mušović 14 May 1998 27 January 1999 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 −9 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.29000014.29
Bosnia and Herzegovina Hadžibegić, FarukFaruk Hadžibegić 10 March 1999 9 October 1999 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 &&&&&&&&&&&&&010.&&&&&010 +0 &&&&&&&&&&&&&028.57000028.57
Bosnia and Herzegovina Kalajdžić, AvdoAvdo Kalajdžić (caretaker) 18 August 1999 18 August 1999 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 +0 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Bosnia and Herzegovina Smajlović, MišoMišo Smajlović 24 January 2000 1 January 2002 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 +3 &&&&&&&&&&&&&035.71000035.71
Bosnia and Herzegovina Slišković, BlažBlaž Slišković 27 March 2002 11 October 2006 &&&&&&&&&&&&&037.&&&&&037 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&015.&&&&&015 &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044 &&&&&&&&&&&&&056.&&&&&056 −12 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.73000029.73
Bosnia and Herzegovina Muzurović, FuadFuad Muzurović 21 December 2006 17 December 2007 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&011.&&&&&011 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.&&&&&016 −5 &&&&&&&&&&&&&033.33000033.33
Bosnia and Herzegovina Kodro, MehoMeho Kodro 5 January 2008 17 May 2008 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 −3 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Bosnia and Herzegovina Pirić, DenijalDenijal Pirić (caretaker) 18 May 2008 30 June 2008 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 +1 &&&&&&&&&&&&0100.&&&&&0100.000
Croatia Blažević, MiroslavMiroslav Blažević 10 July 2008 12 December 2009 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&034.&&&&&034 &&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024 +10 &&&&&&&&&&&&&047.&6000047.06
Bosnia and Herzegovina Sušić, SafetSafet Sušić 29 December 2009 17 November 2014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&049.&&&&&049 &&&&&&&&&&&&&023.&&&&&023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&017.&&&&&017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&083.&&&&&083 &&&&&&&&&&&&&059.&&&&&059 +24 &&&&&&&&&&&&&046.94000046.94 2014 FIFA World Cup – Group stage
Bosnia and Herzegovina Baždarević, MehmedMehmed Baždarević 13 December 2014 10 October 2017 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&053.&&&&&053 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030 +23 &&&&&&&&&&&&&056.&&&&&056.00 2016 Kirin Cup – Winners
Croatia Prosinečki, RobertRobert Prosinečki 4 January 2018 27 November 2019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&022.&&&&&022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&029.&&&&&029 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 +8 &&&&&&&&&&&&&040.91000040.91 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B – Promoted
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bajević, DušanDušan Bajević 21 December 2019 18 November 2020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&014.&&&&&014 −10 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Bulgaria Petev, IvayloIvaylo Petev 21 January 2021 31 December 2022 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&024.&&&&&024 −5 &&&&&&&&&&&&&030.&&&&&030.00 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B – Promoted
Bosnia and Herzegovina Hadžibegić, FarukFaruk Hadžibegić 4 January 2023 23 June 2023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 −4 &&&&&&&&&&&&&025.&&&&&025.00
Bosnia and Herzegovina Kodro, MehoMeho Kodro 3 August 2023 21 September 2023 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 +0 &&&&&&&&&&&&&050.&&&&&050.00
Serbia Milošević, SavoSavo Milošević 29 September 2023 21 March 2024 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&013.&&&&&013 −8 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020.00
Bosnia and Herzegovina Barbarez, SergejSergej Barbarez 19 April 2024 Present &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&021.&&&&&021 −17 &0&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00.00
Total &&&&&&&&&&&&0256.&&&&&0256 &&&&&&&&&&&&&093.&&&&&093 &&&&&&&&&&&&&057.&&&&&057 &&&&&&&&&&&&0106.&&&&&0106 &&&&&&&&&&&&0352.&&&&&0352 &&&&&&&&&&&&0360.&&&&&0360 −8 &&&&&&&&&&&&&036.33000036.33 Four achievements

Players

Current squad

  • The following players were called up for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A matches against Germany and Netherlands on 16 and 19 November 2024, respectively.
  • Caps and goals are correct as of 19 November  2024 (2024 -11-19), 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 Germany St. Pauli
22 1GK Martin Zlomislić (1998-08-16) 16 August 1998 (age 26) 1 0 Croatia Rijeka
12 1GK Osman Hadžikić (1996-03-12) 12 March 1996 (age 28) 0 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Velež Mostar

3 2DF Ermin Bičakčić (1990-01-24) 24 January 1990 (age 34) 41 3 Germany Eintracht Braunschweig
2DF Jusuf Gazibegović (2000-03-11) 11 March 2000 (age 24) 21 0 Austria Sturm Graz
7 2DF Amar Dedić (2002-08-18) 18 August 2002 (age 22) 16 1 Austria Red Bull Salzburg
16 2DF Adrian Leon Barišić (2001-07-19) 19 July 2001 (age 23) 9 0 Switzerland Basel
2DF Nikola Katić (1996-10-10) 10 October 1996 (age 28) 6 0 Switzerland Zürich
2DF Nihad Mujakić (1998-04-15) 15 April 1998 (age 26) 5 0 Serbia Partizan
18 2DF Tarik Muharemović (2003-02-28) 28 February 2003 (age 21) 4 0 Italy Sassuolo
19 2DF Nail Omerović (2002-10-20) 20 October 2002 (age 22) 2 0 Croatia Osijek
2 2DF Nidal Čelik (2006-07-17) 17 July 2006 (age 18) 0 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Sarajevo

6 3MF Benjamin Tahirović (2003-03-03) 3 March 2003 (age 21) 14 0 Netherlands Ajax
20 3MF Haris Hajradinović (1994-02-18) 18 February 1994 (age 30) 13 1 Turkey Kasımpaşa
17 3MF Dženis Burnić (1998-05-22) 22 May 1998 (age 26) 8 0 Germany Karlsruher
15 3MF Armin Gigović (2002-04-06) 6 April 2002 (age 22) 8 0 Germany Holstein Kiel
8 3MF Denis Huseinbašić (2001-07-03) 3 July 2001 (age 23) 7 0 Germany Köln
13 3MF Ivan Bašić (2002-04-30) 30 April 2002 (age 22) 6 0 Russia Orenburg
23 3MF Esmir Bajraktarević (2005-03-10) 10 March 2005 (age 19) 6 0 United States New England Revolution
5 3MF Ivan Šunjić (1996-10-09) 9 October 1996 (age 28) 2 0 Cyprus Pafos
14 3MF Ifet Đakovac (1997-12-05) 5 December 1997 (age 27) 1 0 Serbia TSC

11 4FW Edin Džeko (captain) (1986-03-17) 17 March 1986 (age 38) 139 67 Turkey Fenerbahçe
10 4FW Ermedin Demirović (1998-03-25) 25 March 1998 (age 26) 31 3 Germany Stuttgart
4FW Haris Tabaković (1994-06-20) 20 June 1994 (age 30) 5 0 Germany TSG Hoffenheim
9 4FW Luka Kulenović (1999-09-29) 29 September 1999 (age 25) 2 0 Netherlands Heracles Almelo
21 4FW Samed Baždar (2004-01-31) 31 January 2004 (age 20) 2 0 Spain Real Zaragoza

Recent call-ups

The following players have also been called up to the squad within the last twelve months:


Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Caps Goals Club Latest call-up
GK Kenan Pirić (1994-07-07) 7 July 1994 (age 30) 8 0 Turkey Antalyaspor v.  Hungary, 10 September 2024
GK Ibrahim Šehić RET (1988-09-02) 2 September 1988 (age 36) 55 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Khaleej v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024

DF Sead Kolašinac (1993-06-20) 20 June 1993 (age 31) 60 0 Italy Atalanta v.  Germany, 16 November 2024 INJ
DF Stjepan Radeljić (1997-09-05) 5 September 1997 (age 27) 1 0 Croatia Rijeka v.  Germany, 16 November 2024 INJ
DF Dennis Hadžikadunić (1998-07-09) 9 July 1998 (age 26) 28 0 Germany Hamburger SV v.  Hungary, 10 September 2024
DF Anel Ahmedhodžić (1999-03-26) 26 March 1999 (age 25) 24 1 England Sheffield United v.  Netherlands, 7 September 2024 INJ
DF Emir Karić (1997-06-09) 9 June 1997 (age 27) 0 0 Austria Sturm Graz v.  Netherlands, 7 September 2024 PRE
DF Eldar Ćivić (1996-05-28) 28 May 1996 (age 28) 28 1 Hungary Ferencváros v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024
DF Adnan Kovačević (1993-09-09) 9 September 1993 (age 31) 13 0 Poland Miedź Legnica v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024
DF Renato Gojković (1995-09-10) 10 September 1995 (age 29) 4 1 Israel Maccabi Petah Tikva v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024

MF Dario Šarić (1997-05-30) 30 May 1997 (age 27) 7 0 Italy Palermo v.  Hungary, 14 October 2024
MF Rade Krunić (1993-10-07) 7 October 1993 (age 31) 34 4 Serbia Red Star Belgrade v.  Hungary, 10 September 2024
MF Dal Varešanović (2001-05-23) 23 May 2001 (age 23) 2 0 Turkey Çaykur Rizespor v.  Hungary, 10 September 2024
MF Madžid Šošić (2002-07-12) 12 July 2002 (age 22) 1 0 Croatia Hajduk Split v.  Italy, 9 June 2024
MF Stjepan Lončar RET (1996-11-10) 10 November 1996 (age 28) 11 0 Hungary Ferencváros v.  England, 3 June 2024 WD
MF Miralem Pjanić RET (1990-04-02) 2 April 1990 (age 34) 115 18 Russia CSKA Moscow v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024
MF Gojko Cimirot (1992-12-19) 19 December 1992 (age 32) 48 0 Saudi Arabia Al-Fayha v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024
MF Amar Rahmanović (1994-05-13) 13 May 1994 (age 30) 8 1 Russia Krylia Sovetov Samara v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024

FW Enver Kulašin (2003-09-11) 11 September 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Borac Banja Luka v.  Hungary, 14 October 2024
FW David Vuković (2003-12-21) 21 December 2003 (age 21) 0 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Borac Banja Luka v.  England, 3 June 2024 WD
FW Smail Prevljak (1995-05-10) 10 May 1995 (age 29) 27 6 Germany Hertha BSC v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024
FW Nemanja Bilbija (1990-11-02) 2 November 1990 (age 34) 6 0 Bosnia and Herzegovina Zrinjski Mostar v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024
FW Said Hamulić (2000-11-12) 12 November 2000 (age 24) 6 0 Poland Widzew Łódź v.  Ukraine, 21 March 2024

Notes
  • PRE = Preliminary squad
  • INJ = Withdrawn due to injury or illness
  • RET = Retired from the national team
  • SUS = Suspended
  • WD = Withdrawn

Individual records

Players in bold are still active with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Most appearances

20150331 2026 AUT BIH 2177 Edin Džeko
Edin Džeko is Bosnia's most capped player and all-time top goal scorer.
Rank Player Caps Goals Career
1 Edin Džeko 139 67 2007–present
2 Miralem Pjanić 115 18 2008–2024
3 Emir Spahić 94 6 2003–2018
4 Zvjezdan Misimović 85 25 2004–2018
5 Vedad Ibišević 83 28 2007–2018
6 Asmir Begović 63 0 2009–2020
7 Sead Kolašinac 60 0 2013–present
Haris Medunjanin 60 9 2009–2018
9 Senad Lulić 57 4 2008–2017
10 Edin Višća 55 10 2010–2020
Ibrahim Šehić 55 0 2010–2024

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Goals Caps Ratio Career
1 Edin Džeko (list) 67 139 0.48 2007–present
2 Vedad Ibišević 28 83 0.34 2007–2018
3 Zvjezdan Misimović 25 85 0.29 2004–2018
4 Elvir Bolić 22 51 0.43 1996–2006
5 Miralem Pjanić 18 115 0.16 2008–2024
6 Sergej Barbarez 17 47 0.36 1998–2006
7 Elvir Baljić 14 38 0.37 1996–2005
8 Zlatan Muslimović 12 30 0.4 2006–2011
9 Edin Višća 10 55 0.18 2010–2020
10 Haris Medunjanin 9 60 0.15 2009–2018

Most clean sheets

20150331 2026 AUT BIH 2176
Asmir Begović is Bosnia's record holder in clean sheets.
Rank Player Clean
Sheets
Caps Ratio Career
1 Asmir Begović 27 63 0.43 2009–2020
2 Ibrahim Šehić 19 55 0.35 2010–2024
3 Kenan Hasagić 13 44 0.3 2002–2011
4 Mirsad Dedić 8 27 0.3 1996–2000
5 Goran Brašnić 5 8 0.63 2004–2008
Adnan Gušo 5 23 0.22 1999–2007
7 Tomislav Piplica 4 8 0.5 2001–2002
Nikola Vasilj 4 14 0.29 2021–present
Almir Tolja 4 15 0.27 2000–2006
10 Jasmin Burić 3 3 1 2008–2020
Kenan Pirić 3 8 0.38 2018–present

Captains

Emir Spahić captained Bosnia at their first FIFA World Cup tournament. This is a list of Bosnia and Herzegovina captains for ten or more matches.

Note: Some of the other players to have captained the team include: Mehmed Baždarević (2 caps) 1996, Meho Kodro (5) 1997 to 1998, Vlatko Glavaš (1) 1997, Suvad Katana (2) 1998, Elvir Bolić (6) 1999 to 2000, Bruno Akrapović (4) 1999 to 2003, Hasan Salihamidžić (1) 2004, Zlatan Bajramović (1) 2006, Džemal Berberović (1) 2007, Asmir Begović (6) 2011 to 2020, Haris Medunjanin (4) 2016 to 2018, Vedad Ibišević (1) 2017, Miralem Pjanić (6) 2019 to 2021, Ermin Bičakčić (1) 2019, Sead Kolašinac (2) 2021 to 2022, Ibrahim Šehić (3) 2021 to 2023, Siniša Saničanin (1) 2021, Eldar Ćivić (1) 2021, Adnan Kovačević (1) 2021, Ajdin Nukić (1) 2021, Smail Prevljak (1) 2022, Rade Krunić (1) 2023, Gojko Cimirot (1) 2023, Ermedin Demirović (2) 2024.

Player Period Games as captain Notes
Muhamed Konjić 1995–2002 20 First official captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team
Mirsad Hibić 2000–2003 14
Sergej Barbarez 2004–2006 20
Emir Spahić 2006–2014 55 First official captain of the team in a major tournament (2014 FIFA World Cup)
Zvjezdan Misimović 2007–2012 16
Edin Džeko 2014– 67

Table correct as of match played on 14 October 2024.

Centuriate goals

Hasan Salihamidzic 2006
Hasan Salihamidžić scored Bosnia's first goal in October 1996.and their 100th goal in June 2005
Rank Date Scorer Opponent Score
1st 8 October 1996 Hasan Salihamidžić  Croatia 1–4
100th 4 June 2005  San Marino 3–1
200th 29 February 2012 Vedad Ibišević  Brazil 1–2
300th 3 September 2017 Edin Džeko  Gibraltar 4–0

Competitive record

FIFA World Cup

FIFA World Cup Qualification
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Squad Pld W D L GF GA Position
1930 to 1990 Part of  Yugoslavia Part of  Yugoslavia
as Bosnia and Herzegovina Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina as Bosnia and Herzegovina Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
United States 1994 Could not enter Could not enter
France 1998 Did not qualify 8 3 0 5 9 14 4/5
as Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina as Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina
South Korea Japan 2002 Did not qualify 8 2 2 4 12 12 4/5
Germany 2006 10 4 4 2 12 9 3/6
South Africa 2010 12 6 1 5 25 15 2/6 Lost play-offs
Brazil 2014 Group stage 20th 3 1 0 2 4 4 Squad 10 8 1 1 30 6 1/6
Russia 2018 Did not qualify 10 5 2 3 24 13 3/6
Qatar 2022 8 1 4 3 9 12 4/5
Canada Mexico United States 2026 To be determined To be determined
Morocco Portugal Spain 2030
Saudi Arabia 2034
Total Group stage 1/7 3 1 0 2 4 4 66 29 14 23 121 81

UEFA European Championship

UEFA European Championship record UEFA European Championship qualifying record
Year Round Position Pld W D L GF GA Pld W D L GF GA Position
1960 to 1992 Part of  Yugoslavia Part of  Yugoslavia
as Bosnia and Herzegovina Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
England 1996 Did not enter Did not enter
as Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina
Belgium Netherlands 2000 Did not qualify 10 3 2 5 14 17 3/6
Portugal 2004 8 4 1 3 7 8 4/5
Austria Switzerland 2008 12 4 1 7 16 22 4/7
Poland Ukraine 2012 12 6 3 3 19 14 2/6 Lost play-offs
France 2016 12 5 3 4 18 15 3/6 Lost play-offs
Europe 2020 11 4 2 5 21 18 4/6 Lost play-offs
Germany 2024 11 3 0 8 10 22 5/6 Lost play-offs
United Kingdom Republic of Ireland 2028 To be determined To be determined
Italy Turkey 2032
Total 76 29 12 35 105 116

UEFA Nations League

UEFA Nations League record
Season Division Group Pld W D L GF GA P/R Rank
2018–19 B 3 4 3 1 0 5 1 Rise 13th
2020–21 A 1 6 0 2 4 3 11 Fall 15th
2022–23 B 3 6 3 2 1 8 8 Rise 18th
2024–25 A 3 6 0 2 4 4 17 Fall 16th
2026–27 B To be determined
Total 22 6 7 9 20 37 13th

Minor tournaments

Minor tournaments record
Tournament Round Position Pld W D L GF GA
Malaysia 1997 Dunhill Cup Malaysia Runners-up 2 5 3 1 1 9 5
India 2001 Millennium Soccer Cup Runners-up 2 5 3 1 1 7 5
Malaysia 2001 Merdeka Tournament Runners-up 2 5 3 1 1 7 4
Iran 2001 LG Cup Runners-up 2 2 1 0 1 4 6
Japan 2016 Kirin Cup Winners 1 2 1 1 0 4 3
Total 1 Title 19 11 4 4 31 23

FIFA ranking history

FIFA-ranking yearly averages for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Their average position since FIFA World Ranking creation is 58.


Head-to-head record

Key

     More wins than losses      As many wins as losses      Fewer wins than losses

Bosnia and Herzegovina's all-time international record, 1995–present
Opponent Pld W D L GF GA GD First game Last game Biggest win Biggest loss
 Albania 5 2 2 1 5 4 +1 30 Nov 1995 28 Mar 2017 2–0 0–2
 Algeria 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 14 Nov 2012 1–0 N/A
 Andorra 2 2 0 0 6 0 +6 28 Mar 2015 6 Sep 2015 3–0
 Argentina 3 0 0 3 1 9 −8 14 May 1998 15 Jun 2014 N/A 0–5
 Armenia 4 3 0 1 10 6 +4 15 Oct 2008 8 Sep 2019 4–1 2–4
 Austria 5 1 3 1 3 4 −1 24 Mar 2001 15 Nov 2018 1–0 0–2
 Azerbaijan 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 1 Jun 2008 1–0 N/A
 Bahrain 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 23 Jun 2001 1–0
 Bangladesh 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 12 Jan 2001 2–0
 Belarus 2 2 0 0 3 0 +3 2 Sep 2011 6 Sep 2011 2–0
 Belgium 8 3 1 4 13 19 −6 26 Mar 2005 7 Oct 2017 4–2 0–4
 Brazil 2 0 0 2 1 3 −2 18 Dec 1996 28 Feb 2012 N/A 1–2
 Bulgaria 2 1 0 1 2 2 0 20 Aug 2008 23 Mar 2018 1–0 1–2
 Chile 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 22 Jan 2001 1–0 N/A
 China 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 2 Mar 1997 N/A 0–3
 Costa Rica 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 27 Mar 2021 N/A
 Croatia 4 0 0 4 6 14 −8 8 Oct 1996 22 Aug 2007 1–4
 Czech Republic 2 0 0 2 1 6 −5 10 Oct 1998 8 Sep 1999 0–3
 Cyprus 4 2 0 2 8 7 +1 9 Sep 2014 31 Aug 2017 2–0 2–3
 Denmark 6 2 2 2 8 7 +1 8 Jun 1997 6 Jun 2021 3–0 0–2
 Egypt 1 0 0 1 0 2 −2 5 Mar 2014 N/A 0–2
 England 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 3 Jun 2024 N/A 0–3
 Estonia 7 5 1 1 21 4 +17 5 Sep 1998 10 Oct 2017 7–0 0–1
 Faroe Islands 2 1 1 0 3 2 +1 19 Aug 1998 9 Jun 1999 1–0 N/A
 Finland 7 3 2 2 12 11 +1 28 Apr 2004 14 Jun 2022 4–1 1–3
 France 6 0 3 3 4 8 −4 18 Aug 2004 1 Sep 2021 N/A 0–2
 Georgia 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 25 Mar 2022 25 Mar 2022 0–1
 Germany 4 0 1 3 3 13 −10 11 Oct 2002 16 Nov 2024 0–7
 Ghana 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 3 Mar 2010 2–1 N/A
 Gibraltar 2 2 0 0 9 0 +9 25 Mar 2017 3 Sep 2017 5–0
 Greece 11 1 5 5 9 17 −8 1 Sep 1996 15 Oct 2019 3–1
 Hungary 6 0 3 3 3 8 −5 10 Mar 1999 14 Oct 2024 N/A 1–3
 Iceland 2 1 0 1 3 1 +2 23 Mar 2023 11 Sep 2023 3–0 0–1
 Indonesia 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 26 Feb 1997 2–0 N/A
 Iran 7 1 1 5 10 19 −9 22 Jul 2001 12 Nov 2020 3–1 0–4
 Israel 4 1 1 2 4 7 −3 11 Oct 2000 12 Jun 2015 3–1 0–3
 Italy 6 1 1 4 4 10 −6 6 Nov 1996 9 Jun 2024 2–1 0–3
 Ivory Coast 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 30 May 2014 2–1 N/A
 Japan 3 1 1 1 4 6 −2 28 Feb 2006 7 Jun 2016 2–1 0–3
 Jordan 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 11 Mar 2000 15 Mar 2000 2–1 N/A
 Kazakhstan 2 1 1 0 4 2 +2 7 Sep 2021 9 Oct 2021 2–0
 Kuwait 1 1 0 0 1 0 +1 4 Sep 2021 1–0
 Latvia 2 2 0 0 9 1 +8 11 Sep 2012 7 Jun 2013 5–0
 Liechtenstein 10 9 1 0 35 3 +32 18 Aug 1999 13 Oct 2023 8–1
 Lithuania 6 4 1 1 10 5 +5 14 Oct 1998 16 Oct 2013 3–0 2–4
 Luxembourg 9 7 0 2 18 7 +11 29 Mar 2003 16 Nov 2023 5–0 1–4
 Malaysia 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 28 Feb 1997 27 Jun 2001 2–0 N/A
 Malta 4 3 0 1 9 4 +5 27 Jan 1999 6 Jun 2007 5–2 1–2
 Mexico 4 1 0 3 2 5 −3 9 Feb 2011 1 Feb 2018 1–0 0–2
 Moldova 2 0 1 1 2 3 −1 7 Oct 2006 12 Sep 2007 N/A 0–1
 Montenegro 4 1 3 0 2 1 +1 28 May 2018 23 Sep 2022 1–0 N/A
 Netherlands 4 0 2 2 4 9 −5 11 Oct 2020 19 Nov 2024 N/A 1–3
 Nigeria 1 0 0 1 0 1 −1 21 Jun 2014 0–1
 Macedonia 5 1 3 1 8 8 0 3 Jun 1998 26 Mar 2008 1–0 0–1
 Northern Ireland 3 2 1 0 5 2 +3 8 Sep 2018 8 Oct 2020 2–0 N/A
 Norway 4 2 0 2 3 5 −2 16 Oct 2002 17 Oct 2007 2–1 0–2
 Oman 1 1 0 0 2 1 +1 9 Jun 2009 2–1 N/A
 Paraguay 1 0 0 1 0 3 −3 21 Apr 1996 N/A 0–3
 Poland 5 0 1 4 3 9 −6 15 Dec 2007 14 Oct 2020 0–3
 Portugal 6 0 1 5 2 16 −14 14 Nov 2009 16 Oct 2023 0–5
 Qatar 2 0 1 1 1 3 −2 24 Jan 2000 10 Aug 2010 0–2
 Republic of Ireland 3 0 1 2 1 4 −3 26 May 2012 16 Nov 2015 0–2
 Romania 6 2 0 4 4 13 −9 7 Sep 2002 26 Sep 2022 2–1 1–4
 San Marino 2 2 0 0 6 1 +5 4 Jun 2005 9 Oct 2005 3–0 N/A
 Scotland 2 0 0 2 1 3 −2 4 Sep 1999 5 Oct 1999 N/A 1–2
 Senegal 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 27 Mar 2018 N/A
 Serbia and Montenegro 5 0 2 3 1 6 −5 14 Jan 2001 12 Oct 2005 0–2
 Slovakia 6 3 0 3 7 8 −1 20 Jun 2001 26 Mar 2023 3–2 0–2
 Slovenia 4 4 0 0 10 4 +6 10 Nov 1996 6 Feb 2013 3–0 N/A
 South Africa 1 1 0 0 4 2 +2 8 Aug 2001 4–2
 South Korea 2 1 0 1 3 3 0 26 May 2006 01 Jun 2018 3–1 0–2
 Spain 8 0 2 6 7 18 −11 2 Sep 2000 18 Nov 2018 N/A 2–5
 Sweden 1 0 0 1 2 4 −2 29 May 2010 2–4
 Switzerland 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 29 Mar 2016 2–0 N/A
 Tunisia 1 0 0 1 1 2 −1 5 Nov 1997 N/A 1–2
 Turkey 6 2 2 2 7 6 +1 16 Aug 2000 11 Oct 2018 2–0 0–1
 Ukraine 3 0 1 2 2 5 −3 12 Oct 2021 21 Mar 2024 N/A 0–2
 United States 3 0 1 2 3 5 −2 14 Aug 2013 18 Dec 2021 N/A 3–4
 Uruguay 1 1 0 0 3 2 +1 18 Jan 2001 3–2 N/A
 Uzbekistan 2 0 1 1 1 2 −1 30 Jun 2001 1 Jun 2009 N/A 1–2
 Vietnam 1 1 0 0 4 0 +4 22 Feb 1997 4–0 N/A
 Wales 4 2 2 0 6 2 +4 12 Feb 2003 10 Oct 2015 2–0
 Zimbabwe 1 0 1 0 2 2 0 24 Feb 1997 N/A
83 countries 271 100 62 109 370 377 −7 30 Nov 1995 19 Nov 2024 8–1 0–7

Notable victories

Source: Results

  • Unofficial games not included.
Date Tournament Place Opponents Score Additional Notes
6 November 1996 Friendly Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Italy 2–1 Victory over top 5 ranked team at the time (5th)
10 November 1996 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification Ljubljana, Slovenia  Slovenia 2–1 Historic first victory in World Cup qualifiers
22 February 1997 1997 Dunhill Cup Malaysia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Vietnam 4–0 Largest ever victory against a non-UEFA opponent
20 August 1997 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Denmark 3–0 Victory over top 5 ranked team at the time (3rd)
19 August 1998 UEFA Euro 2000 qualifying Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Faroe Islands 1–0 Historic first victory in European Championship qualifiers
2 April 2003 UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Copenhagen, Denmark  Denmark 2–0 Victory over top 15 ranked team at the time (11th)
6 September 2003 UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Norway 1–0
3 September 2005 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Belgium 1–0
24 March 2007 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Oslo, Norway  Norway 2–1
2 June 2007 UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Turkey 3–2 Edin Džeko's debut senior cap and first international goal.
10 September 2008 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Estonia 7–0 Largest ever victory (without conceding)
28 March 2009 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Genk, Belgium  Belgium 4–2
1 April 2009 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Belgium 2–1
10 October 2009 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification Tallinn, Estonia  Estonia 2–0 Qualified to first play-offs (2010 FIFA World Cup)
7 September 2012 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Vaduz, Lichtenstein  Liechtenstein 8–1 Largest ever victory
22 March 2013 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Greece 3–1 Victory over top 15 ranked team at the time (12th)
10 September 2013 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Žilina, Slovakia  Slovakia 2–1
15 October 2013 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification Kaunas, Lithuania  Lithuania 1–0 Qualified to 2014 FIFA World Cup
25 June 2014 2014 FIFA World Cup Group Stage Salvador, Brazil  Iran 3–1 Historic first victory in FIFA World Cup
10 October 2015 UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina  Wales 2–0 Victory over top 10 ranked team at the time (8th)
29 March 2016 Friendly Zürich, Switzerland  Switzerland 2–0 Victory over top 15 ranked team at the time (12th)
7 June 2016 2016 Kirin Cup Osaka, Japan  Japan 2–1 Victory in the Final of 2016 Kirin Cup

Honours

Friendly

  • Kirin Cup
    • Champions (1): 2016
  • Millennium Super Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2001

See also

Kids robot.svg 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
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