Bosnia & Herzegovina made history, defeating Italy in a dramatic penalty shootout to secure their place in the 2026 World Cup.
Former Manchester City striker Edin Dzeko led jubilant celebrations with the Bosnia & Herzegovina squad after they secured a dramatic World Cup qualification. The team triumphed over Italy in Zenica, winning 4-1 in a penalty shoot-out following a 1-1 draw after extra time.
This marks Bosnia’s second-ever World Cup appearance, the first since Brazil 2014. Despite suffering a shoulder injury in the final seconds of extra time after being hacked down by Davide Frattesi and receiving treatment, Dzeko battled through the full 120 minutes but was unable to take part in the shootout.
He watched from the sidelines with his arm in a sling. Bosnia coach Sergej Barbarez said afterwards: I hope that it is not a great injury to Edin Dzeko and that he will be able to be with us at the World Cup because he does not have much time.”
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That didn’t stop the 40-year-old from partying through the night, dancing and singing in a bar. He later shared footage on Instagram, showing the squad enjoying their historic achievement.
He also shared photos from the packed streets of Sarajevo, where the Bosnia squad celebrated atop a rooftop bus surrounded by thousands of fans.
Despite being unable to take a penalty for his country, the striker said it felt like destiny.
“I keep saying it must have been fate, for it to happen in the last second of the match, and then for me not to be able to take a penalty,” he said.
“Someone else stepped up instead of me, scored, and in the end we won. Who knows, maybe if I had taken it, I wouldn’t have scored, so it all feels like it comes from above.”
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On his arm injury, Dzeko added: “We’re all relieved about the arm, it’s not the worst case scenario. Most likely it won’t need surgery.
“So I hope that in maybe a month, month and a half, I should be back.”
Bosnia moved into Group B, where they will face Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in the tournament across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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Meanwhile, Italy failed to return to the World Cup and have become the first former champions to miss back‑to‑back tournaments, having failed to qualify for Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022.
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