Edin Dzeko leads Bosnia and Herzegovina at second World Cup appearance

Bosnia and Herzegovina's captain, 40-year-old Edin Džeko, is one of the oldest players participating in the 2026 World Cup.

Edin Džeko returns to the World Cup after 12 years at the age of 40 and the Bosnia-Herzegovina captain is still hungry for success. "I wouldn't have thought that I would still be playing at 40," the striker told Sky TV ahead of their first World Cup match on Friday against co-hosts Canada.

After helping to shock Italy in the playoffs, the Bosnia and Herzegovina captain is out to upset co-hosts Canada in their opening match on Friday “Sometimes there is an end for all of us, maybe mine is coming soon,” says Edin Dzeko, though first there is the small matter of captaining Bosnia and Herzegovina at only their second World Cup, lessons learned. “When I was 17, 18, people were telling me: ‘Experience is something you get by playing for so many years,’” he says, screwing up his face a little, “when you think like a 17-year-old.” A smile unravels on Dzeko’s face. “But when you arrive at this age you know experience is fundamental.” When he was sold by the Sarajevo-based Zeljeznicar to the Czech team Teplice as a teenager, few envisaged him forging an elite career that has taken him to Europe’s best leagues and the biggest stages in the game. He is one of seven fortysomethings who could feature at the tournament this summer, along with Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric and, just like those two, inevitably much of the intrigue in Dzeko is rooted in longevity. To cut to the chase, what are the secrets to his success? Continue reading...

“I did not think I would be playing at 40,” admits Edin Dzeko. But here he is. Not just playing but getting ready to captain Bosnia and Herzegovina at the 2026 World Cup, coming into the tournament fresh off a title win with Schalke in Germany.