40-year-old Džeko leads Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup squad
Sergej Barbarez’s Bosnia and Herzegovina became the first team to nominate the full squad for the 2026 World Cup. Schalke’s 40-year-old striker Edin Džeko will be the captain for the side coached...
40-year-old Džeko leads Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup squad Sergej Barbarez ’s Bosnia and Herzegovina became the first team to nominate the full squad for the 2026 World Cup. Schalke’s 40-year-old striker Edin Džeko will be the captain for the side coached by the former Borussia Dortmund, HSV, and Bayer Leverkusen attacker. Roger Milla is the only outfield player to play in the World Cup after turning 40.
The Cameroonian did so in the first tournament staged in the USA back in 1994, and there are now three names set to join the list this summer. Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo (41) and Croatia’s Luka Modric (40) are also expected to be named in the lists of their respective nations. Džeko was part of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s squad for their debut World Cup in 2014.
He scored one of their four goals when they were knocked out of the group stage. Former Hoffenheim striker Vedad Ibišević put his name on the record books by scoring Bosnia’s first goal in the competition when they lost 2-1 to Argentina. In the same game, Sead Kolašinac scored an own-goal after only two minutes and six seconds.
The former Schalke defender still holds the record for the fastest own-goal in the history of the World Cup. The 32-year-old current Atalanta player is included in the squad for this summer’s tournament. Džeko’s teammate Nikola Katić will also hope to repeat his success of a Bundesliga promotion in the global event.