Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina, nicknamed The Dragons (Zmajevi), are a UEFA member who made their World Cup debut in 2014 and qualified for 2026 through a dramatic playoff run. Edin Džeko holds both the caps record (148) and top-scorer record (73 goals) for the side.

Following Bosnia and Herzegovina's independence in 1992, the national football association (N/FSBiH) was established and the team played its first international on 30 November 1995, losing 2–0 to Albania in Tirana. The early years were marked by near-misses in World Cup and European Championship qualifying, including playoff defeats to Portugal (2010 and 2012) and a loss on penalties to Northern Ireland in a Euro 2020 play-off.

The team's breakthrough came in 2014 when they qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time, winning their qualifying group. At the tournament in Brazil they reached the group stage, defeating Iran but falling to Argentina and Nigeria. Striker Edin Džeko and winger Miralem Pjanić were the standout players of that generation, and the side briefly climbed to 13th in the FIFA rankings in August 2013.

Under coach Sergej Barbarez, Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup — their second appearance as an independent nation — beating Wales and Italy on penalties in the playoff stage. The team also won Group 3 of the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B, earning promotion to League A.