Group-stage fixtures
- MD1at Canada2026-06-12 · 3:00 PM ET
- MD2at Switzerland2026-06-18 · 3:00 PM ET
- MD3vs Qatar2026-06-24 · 3:00 PM ET
Tactical profile
Bosnia & Herzegovina under head coach Sergej Barbarez settled into a disciplined, deep block 4-4-2 out of possession as the World Cup qualifying campaign reached its final stages. But in an oddly explosive final against Italy, the complexion of the game changed entirely with the sending-off of Andrea Bastoni, and Zmajevi enjoyed a prolonged spell of control leading to an equaliser from Haris Tabaković and an eventual victory in penalties.
With the ball, Bosnia rely heavily upon the trio of centre-back Nikola Katić, fullback Amar Dedić and winger Esmir Bajraktarević. Katić functions as the deep-lying custodian of the ball, while Dedić shifts into the right half-space to act as the intermediary between midfield and attack. Bajraktarević is the ultimate outlet on the right wing, looking to play crosses and through balls into the box for the striker duo of Edin Džeko and Ermedin Demirović. Transition between phases is largely achieved by packing the central areas with the midfield duo and support from Sead Kolašinac coming central.
The group is not exactly full of ball-retentive sides, and Barbarez may be tempted to test youngster Kerim Alajbegović as a starter to augment Bosnia's possession phase, but otherwise the setup shouldn't see many drastic changes.
Hailing from Appleton, Wisconsin, Esmir Bajraktarević is by far the most load-bearing element of the Bosnian attack. The 21-year old debuted for Bosnia & Herzegovina in 2024 after obtaining FIFA eligibility, and at club level has found his footing as a regular contributor for PSV Eindhoven this season with 36 appearances and 7 goals in all competitions.
Red Bull Salzburg's Kerim Alajbegović made his NT debut in September '25, becoming a crucial impact sub for Bosnia in World Cup qualifying. The 17-year old delivered the corner for Edin Džeko's equaliser vs. Wales in the semi-final, then went on to score the winning shootout penalty. Five days later, he buried another shootout penalty in the final.
The squad features players from the youth systems of 8 nations: Austria, Bosnia, Croatia, Germany, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland & the United States.
Squad by position
- Goalkeepers
- Nikola Vasilj, Martin Zlomislić, Mladen Jurkas
- Central defenders
- Tarik Muharemović, Nikola Katić, Dennis Hadžikadunić, Nihad Mujakić, Nidal Čelik, Stjepan Radeljić
- Wide defenders
- Amar Dedić, Sead Kolašinac
- Defensive midfield
- Ivan Šunjić, Amir Hadžiahmetović, Dženis Burnić
- Central midfield
- Benjamin Tahirović, Ivan Bašić, Armin Gigović
- Wide forwards
- Esmir Bajraktarević, Amar Memić, Kerim Alajbegović, Ermin Mahmić
- Central forwards
- Edin Džeko, Ermedin Demirović, Haris Tabaković, Samed Baždar, Jovo Lukić