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Despite the bleak state of Bosnian football at the time, Sergej Barbarez courageously accepted the role of national team manager—his first-ever coaching assignment. That bold decision has paid off handsomely, potentially paving the way for a World Cup fairy tale.

“That first match, when the national anthem plays—that’s my moment. Those three seconds will be mine,” Bosnia and Herzegovina coach Sergej Barbarez told Sky in a recent interview, looking forward to this summer’s World Cup.

In a stunning and emotional twist, Barbarez’s team booked their World Cup ticket at the end of March by defeating favourites Italy in the play-off final—sending the Azzurri crashing out in heartbreak. The image of young midfielder Esmir Bajraktarevic lifting his shirt high in Zenica’s roaring stadium after scoring the decisive penalty will forever be remembered in Bosnian football history.

This achievement mirrors the feat of Bosnia’s “golden generation”—Miralem Pjanic, Zvjezdan Misimovic, Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic—who took the small Balkan nation of just over three million people to its first and only World Cup appearance in Brazil 2014. Now, Bajraktarevic and his teammates are set to follow in their heroes’ footsteps, with the evergreen Dzeko, now 40, still central to the story.

To fully appreciate Bosnia’s return to the 2026 World Cup—both emotionally and athletically—it’s essential to revisit the turbulent years before Barbarez took charge. “Over the past decade, things went from bad to worse. Honestly, a normal person wouldn’t have taken this job,” the former Bundesliga striker (330 appearances with Rostock, Dortmund, Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen) admitted to kicker in October 2024.

After the high of 2014, Bosnia and Herzegovina steadily slipped away from major tournament contention. The low point came during the 2024 European Championship qualifiers, when three managers were dismissed within roughly 15 months.

Following a failed 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign, Faruk Hadzibegic was appointed in early 2023. But after four matches and three defeats—including a 2-0 home loss to Luxembourg in June—he was dismissed after just 170 days. His replacement, Meho Kodro, lasted only 49 days and two games: a narrow 2-1 win against Liechtenstein and a 0-1 defeat in Iceland.

By then, Euro 2024 qualification hopes were long gone. Savo Milosevic took charge in September 2023, confident he could rebuild. “I firmly believe this team can reach the European Championship. It has the quality to be there,” said the former Yugoslavia international, who shared the Euro 2000 Golden Boot with Dutch legend Patrick Kluivert. But the optimism faded quickly.

Milosevic’s only win came in his debut match. A 0-5 thrashing by Portugal, a 1-4 loss in Luxembourg, and a 1-2 defeat to Slovakia left Bosnia second-last in the group with nine points from ten matches. A 2-0 win over Liechtenstein briefly kept him in the job, but a 1-2 play-off semi-final loss to Ukraine ended his tenure in spring 2024.

Despite going a full year without a victory, the Bosnian FA chose to be patient with Sergej Barbarez.

When Barbarez signed his contract in April 2024, Bosnian football was in disarray. Appointing one of the nation’s greatest ever strikers seemed logical—Barbarez had once helped lay the foundations for Bosnia’s 2014 breakthrough. Yet, the move was still shocking, as the 52-year-old had never coached before. “I’ve waited a long time for this chance,” he told kicker. After retiring in 2008, he briefly served on Hamburg SV’s supervisory board and appeared as a TV pundit, spending the next 16 years largely away from football, even pursuing professional poker.

Nevertheless, the Bosnian FA decided to invest for the long term. Barbarez signed a four-year contract through spring 2028, with Euro 2028 qualification as the primary objective. “The 2026 World Cup is also a dream,” he said, “but we’re realistic. We’re following a long-term plan.”

Barbarez was given time to rebuild—and he used it. “We’ve inspired new players, taken big risks. I don’t think there’s another case like ours,” he told Transfermarkt. “Four of my first five games were away—and one was against Germany. That was brutal.”

Early results were rough: friendly losses to England and Italy, and heavy Nations League defeats to the Netherlands (2-5) and Germany (0-7). Bosnia went winless through 2024, but signs of progress emerged—a 1-2 home loss to Germany showed fight, followed by a 1-1 draw with the Netherlands.

Barbarez’s first win came in March 2025, a 1-0 away triumph in Romania that launched Bosnia’s 2026 qualifying campaign. They nearly topped their group, leading Austria 1-0 on the final day before Michael Gregoritsch’s late equaliser denied them automatic qualification.

Barbarez has built Bosnia’s revival on three pillars: identity, mentality and emotion. “At the start, we had to clear everything out,” he told Transfermarkt. “I always tell my players I succeeded because I loved that ball—and when you love something, the right path follows.”

He surrounded himself with fellow former internationals: Zlatan Bajramovic, Mirko Hrgovic, and Emir Spahic as technical director, while Kenan Hasagic became goalkeeping coach. “Football evolves, but the emotions never change—you always give everything for your country,” he said.

He divides his squad into three groups. Leading the first is Edin Dzeko—the captain, talisman, and living legend. With nearly 150 caps, Dzeko remains crucial on and off the pitch. “For an 18-year-old to meet Edin—it’s special. He was their idol, now he’s their teammate,” Barbarez told Transfermarkt. “Sometimes a few words from him can make the difference.”

Fresh from helping Schalke 04 return to the Bundesliga, Dzeko remains key if fit. “If he’s 100 per cent, there’s no need to hold him back,” Barbarez said. “We play every six days—enough time to recover. And I let him decide how much he can give.”

Dzeko scored five goals in seven qualifiers, including a dramatic equaliser against Wales and an assist in the play-off final versus Italy. Despite his age, he remains indispensable.

The second group includes seasoned leaders in their 30s—Sead Kolasinac (32, Atalanta), goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj (30, FC St. Pauli), and Ivan Sunjic (29, Pafos FC), who switched from Croatia. Together with striker Ermedin Demirovic, they form Bosnia’s backbone. “It’s like Germany winning the World Cup,” Demirovic told Sport Bild after qualification. “People thank us for bringing happiness to the nation.”

Demirovic, born in Hamburg, chose Bosnia at U16 level. “I did it for my grandad,” he said. “He was proud I played for HSV. He’s gone now, but this World Cup is for him and all who suffered during the war.”

Barbarez’s own life was shaped by that conflict. “I was basically forced to flee,” he recalled to 11Freunde. Sent from Mostar to Hanover in winter 1991/92, he stayed in Germany as war broke out, earning a trial at Hannover 96 that launched his Bundesliga career. “Berti Vogts once offered me a chance with Germany, but I never considered it. I always wanted to play for my homeland,” he said.

Among the youngest talents is 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic of RB Salzburg, a Leverkusen academy product who captains the new generation. “We’re almost the youngest team at this World Cup, and I love that,” Barbarez said. Alajbegovic’s performances in qualifiers—especially his game-changing cameo in the 3-1 comeback win over Romania—showed his potential.

“He’s brilliant. Sometimes I almost fear it’s all an illusion—but the lads truly live it,” Barbarez said about the teenager. With Leverkusen activating his buy-back clause, Alajbegovic is set for a big future. “I told him: join a club where you’ll play regularly. He’s only 18; he could play at the top for 15 more years,” Barbarez added.

Another emerging star is Esmir Bajraktarevic, the 21-year-old PSV winger who sealed qualification with his penalty against Italy. Born in the USA, he previously represented the United States before switching to Bosnia under Barbarez’s guidance. Centre-back Tarik Muharemovic, 23, of Sassuolo, is another standout—reportedly on Inter Milan’s radar.

With Dzeko and Kolasinac still in the mix, Bosnia can draw on experience from 2014, when they faced Argentina, Nigeria and Iran. This time, Group B looks manageable: Switzerland are favourites, Qatar underdogs, leaving Bosnia to battle co-hosts Canada for second place.

“It’s hard to predict results,” Barbarez said. “But we can talk about emotions. I told the nation: let’s have a wonderful summer. We’ll take your voice to America. I want to make people proud and put smiles on their faces.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina 2026 World Cup Squad

Goalkeepers: Nikola Vasilj (FC St. Pauli), Martin Zlomislic (HNK Rijeka), Mladen Jurkas (FK Borac Banja Luka)

Defenders: Tarik Muharemovic (US Sassuolo), Nidal Celik (RC Lens), Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta Bergamo), Stjepan Radeljic (HNK Rijeka), Nikola Katic (FC Schalke 04), Nihad Mujakic (Gaziantep FK), Dennis Hadzikadunic (Sampdoria Genoa), Amar Dedic (Benfica Lisbon)

Midfielders: Amir Hadziahmetovic (Hull City), Benjamin Tahirovic (Brøndby Copenhagen), Ivan Sunjic (Pafos FC), Dzenis Burnic (Karlsruher SC), Armin Gigovic (Young Boys Bern), Ivan Basic (FC Astana), Amar Memic (Viktoria Plzeň), Ermin Mahmic (Slovan Liberec)

Forwards: Kerim Alajbegovic (RB Salzburg), Esmir Bajraktarevic (PSV Eindhoven), Ermedin Demirovic (VfB Stuttgart), Haris Tabakovic (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj), Samed Bazdar (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Edin Dzeko (FC Schalke 04)