The Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup squad has been announced, as head coach Sergej Barbarez became the first coach to do so.
Rather than picking a provisional roster, as is the norm, Barbarez decided to immediately choose his Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup squad instead.
He did add nine standby players to his list in case of injuries. This way, all players know from the start what role (if any) they have in the squad.
With that, we bring you the Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup squad for this summer’s tournament in North America.
Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup Squad: The Full Roster List
Goalkeepers: Nikola Vasilj (FC St. Pauli), Martin Zlomislić (HNK Rijeka), Osman Hadžikić (Slaven Belupo).
Defenders: Sead Kolašinac (Atalanta), Amar Dedić (Benfica), Nihad Mujakić (Gaziantep FK), Nikola Katić (Schalke 04), Tarik Muharemović (Sassuolo), Stjepan Radeljić (HNK Rijeka), Dennis Hadžikadunić (Sampdoria), Nidal Čelik (RC Lens).
Midfielders: Amir Hadžiahmetović (Hull City), Ivan Šunjić (Pafos FC), Ivan Bašić (FC Astana), Dzenis Burnić (Karlsruher SC), Ermin Mahmić (Slovan Liberec), Benjamin Tahirović (Brøndby), Amar Memić (Viktoria Plzen), Kerim Alajbegović (RB Salzburg), Esmir Bajraktarević (PSV).
Forwards: Ermedin Demirović (VfB Stuttgart), Jovo Lukić (Universitatea Cluj), Samed Baždar (Jagiellonia Białystok), Haris Tabaković (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Edin Džeko (Schalke 04).
Standby: Tarik Karić (Velež Mostar), Mladen Jurkas (Borac Banja Luka), Arjan Malić (Sturm Graz), Emir Karić (Sturm Graz), Jusuf Gazibegović (Sturm Graz), Ifet Đakovac (Akron Tolyatti), Dario Šarić (Antalyaspor), Amer Gojak (HNK Rijeka), Haris Hajradinović (Kasimpasa).
Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup Squad: Observations From The Roster
First of all, it is great news that Hadžiahmetović made the squad for now, despite having previously been ruled out of the tournament by injury.
Barbarez made it clear in the press conference for the Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup squad announcement that only fully fit players would actually travel to North America.
Another thing worth mentioning is that the main squad includes two outfield players without any caps to their names, with Čelik and Mahmić being the two in question, as it is certainly rare that players without previous international experience get called up to a World Cup roster.
Another oddity is the inclusion of no less than five centre-forwards in the main squad. Bosnia are likely to be one of the teams with the most players in that position on their roster, given that modern football, generally speaking, has limited their use, in the era of false number nines and the like.
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Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup Squad: Tactical Considerations
That seems to indicate that Barbarez intends to keep his 4-4-2 formation during the tournament as well.
Safet Sušić, the only other national team coach to send Bosnia and Herzegovina to a World Cup, arguably made the mistake of going into the 2014 tournament with a 4-2-3-1 formation, despite the fact that the 4-4-2 had gotten the job done in qualifying.
Beyond that, this Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup squad is very much lacking fullbacks on either flank.
Despite the fact that there are some versatile defenders who can play more than one position, width in the backline is a clear concern.
Players Who Should Have A Good Tournament If Bosnia and Herzegovina Are To Progress
Edin Džeko is the talisman of this young side, as he is a leader on and off the pitch, and he scores the vital goals for them. Even so, Bosnia have many bright talents in this team, with Alajbegović and Bajraktarević being the biggest amongst them.
The Dragons face Canada, Switzerland and Qatar in their group. Even though this Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup squad has goals in it, Vasilj must have a standout tournament between the posts if they are to move beyond the group stage.
The St. Pauli goalkeeper is a very good shot stopper, but has major problems when he needs to participate in the buildup. In any case, it will be an interesting tournament for the Dragons, that’s for sure.
Main Photo
Credit: IMAGO / IPA Sport
Recording Date: 31.03.2026
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