🏆 World Cup has first team to name its squad; see

Done — we already have the first 26 players confirmed for the 2026 World Cup.

The Football Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (NFSBiH) became the first of the 48 participating national teams to unveil, this Monday (11), the official squad list for the World Cup in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Head coach Sergej Barbarez announced the 26 names that will be booking their tickets to North America at a press conference held in the capital, Sarajevo.

"We chose the right people to represent the Bosnian identity and the spirit of our nation," the coach said during the announcement.

The Bosnian national team secured its place in dramatic fashion at the end of March 2026, after eliminating Italy on penalties (4-1, following a 1-1 draw) in the UEFA qualifying playoffs.

With that victory, the team was placed in World Cup Group B.

🧤 Goalkeepers

• Nikola Vasilj
• Martin Zlomislić
• Osman Hadžikić

🛡️ Defenders

• Sead Kolašinac
• Amar Dedić
• Nihad Mujakić
• Nikola Katić
• Tarik Muharemović
• Stjepan Radeljić
• Dennis Hadžikadunić
• Nidal Čelik

🎯 Midfielders

• Amir Hadžiahmetović
• Ivan Šunjić
• Ivan Bašić
• Dženis Burnić
• Ermin Mahmić
• Benjamin Tahirović
• Amar Memić
• Armin Gigović
• Kerim Alajbegović
• Esmir Bajraktarević

⚽ Forwards

• Ermedin Demirović
• Jovo Lukić
• Samed Baždar
• Haris Tabaković
• Edin Džeko 

📋 Waiting List

Head coach Sergej Barbarez also listed a number of players on standby: Tarik Karić, Mladen Jurkas, Arjan Malić, Emir Karić, Jusuf Gazibegović, Ifet Đakovac, Dario Šarić, Amer Gojak, and Haris Hajradinović.

🗓️ Schedule

Bosnia will face an extensive trip across North America during the group stage, splitting its matches between Canada and the West Coast of the United States.

Opening match: Bosnia vs. Canada

The first game will be against one of the tournament hosts, which promises a packed stadium.

• Date: June 12, 2026 (Friday)
• Venue: BMO Field (Toronto, Ontario - Canada)

Second Matchday: Switzerland vs. Bosnia

The second challenge will be a direct clash between two European national teams on American soil.

• Date: June 18, 2026 (Thursday)
• Venue: SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles, California - USA)

Third Matchday: Bosnia vs. Qatar

Sergej Barbarez's team will close out the group stage against the Qatari national team (host country of the 2022 World Cup).

• Date: June 24, 2026 (Wednesday)
• Venue: Lumen Field (Seattle, Washington - USA)

National context

The announcement of the senior national team comes at a time of euphoria for local football.

In addition to qualifying for the World Cup, the domestic scene is also buzzing with the possible return of giant club NK Čelik Zenica to the top tier of Bosnian football, signaling a structural revival of the sport in the country.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.