A Bright Spot in a Troubled World Cup
With so much negativity surrounding this year's World Cup, it's easy to overlook anything about it that might bring a smile. But the tale of Bosnia-Herzegovina captain Edin Dzeko certainly does.
If Edin Dzeko represented a larger footballing nation, this wouldn't be merely his second World Cup appearance. Yet 12 years after Bosnia-Herzegovina failed to advance past the group stage in Brazil, the now 40-year-old forward and his country are once again on the sport's grandest stage.
Although Bosnia-Herzegovina, which declared independence in 1992, has only qualified for a single previous World Cup and never reached a European Championship, Dzeko has amassed an extraordinary 148 caps (scoring 73 goals) for his nation.
Growing Up in a Besieged Capital
That independence came at a terrible cost, as the country became engulfed in one of the conflicts following the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. The capital, Sarajevo, suffered especially, enduring nearly four years of siege by the Yugoslav National Army and the newly established Bosnian-Serb army, which controlled the surrounding hills. Between 1992 and 1995, more than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, were killed by shelling and snipers in Sarajevo alone.
Dzeko was six years old when the war erupted, and during the siege, kicking a ball around the streets of the increasingly battered capital offered a welcome escape.
"Our home was destroyed, so we had to move in with my grandparents. The whole family lived there under one roof, maybe 15 people crammed into an apartment of 35 square meters," Dzeko told British newspaper The Mail in 2011 about his wartime experience.
"It was constant stress and worry, in case something happened or news came through that someone we knew had been killed. I was only young, and I cried often, through fear. Every day, you could hear the guns firing, and we lost family, friends and even some relatives."
From Sarajevo to Wolfsburg and Beyond
He continued his development in the academy of one of the city's two major clubs, FK Zeljeznicar. There, he made his professional debut in Bosnia-Herzegovina's top division in 2003, but this marked the beginning of the end of his career in his homeland. His first coach, who happened to be Czech, persuaded FK Teplice to sign him for a reported €25,000 ($28,870) two years later.
There, he caught the eye of German coach Felix Magath, who brought Dzeko to Wolfsburg in the summer of 2007, the same year he made his senior international debut for Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was at Wolfsburg where he truly thrived. Alongside Grafite, he formed one half of the most prolific striking partnerships in Bundesliga history, combining for 54 goals (28 for Grafite, 26 for Dzeko) as the duo led the club to its only league title in 2009.
By then, the "Bosnian diamond," as he was dubbed by a local broadcaster, was sought after by top clubs across Europe. He went on to win titles at Manchester City and Inter, while also enjoying successful stints at Roma and Fenerbahce before returning to Italy's Serie A with Fiorentina this past season. By that point, he had scored 369 goals in 856 games across all competitions for his various clubs.
Returning to Germany
At 39, having managed just one goal in five Conference League matches for Fiorentina and none in his 11 Serie A appearances, it seemed as though his long career was winding down. In December, a frustrated Dzeko began searching for a new club—one where he could again get regular playing time.
This coincided with German second-division side Schalke looking to boost their chances of winning promotion back to the top flight. Their Bosnian-born coach, Miron Muslic, who fled the war with his parents as a child, could scarcely believe his luck when he learned that Dzeko was willing to take a significant pay cut to play in a lower league. In fact, Dzeko was so keen to play that he turned down Schalke's offer to send a plane for him, having already booked a commercial flight to Germany.
Just days after his arrival, Dzeko was back in his familiar blue and white, the traditional colors not only of Schalke but also of his first club, Zeljeznicar, and the Bosnian national team. Coming on as a substitute, he scored his first of six goals in the second half of the season as he helped Schalke secure promotion just weeks after his 40th birthday.
"I've won quite a few titles during my career. But I've never celebrated one like we did here at Schalke," Dzeko told the club's website afterward. "I said from day one that Schalke belongs in the Bundesliga."
A 'Perfect Few Months'
Throughout this time, Dzeko remained captain of the national team, determined to reach one more World Cup—a prospect that seemed highly unlikely when another Bosnian legend, Sergej Barbarez, took over as coach of "The Dragons" in April 2024. Not much was expected of Barbarez, given that although he had earned his coaching badges years earlier, he had absolutely no experience in the role.
But Barbarez, an impressive Bundesliga striker in his own right in the 1990s and 2000s, had a knack for inspiring a largely young Bosnian side to a level of success they hadn't seen in over a decade, upsetting Italy in a playoff to qualify for North America. Dzeko played a major role in the campaign.
"I wanted to help bring the club (Schalke) back to where it belongs," he said. "The fact that I also qualified for the World Cup with the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team has made the past few months perfect. I absolutely made the right decision."
Edin Dzeko appears to have made a habit of choosing wisely throughout his long career. Seeing him reach one final World Cup stands out as a feel-good story heading into a tournament that is largely making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
**The Dayton Peace Agreement 30 years on**
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Edited by: Jonathan Harding