There are players who age gracefully and then there is Edin Dzeko — a man who has spent the better part of two decades refusing to read the room. According to BBC Sport, the Bosnia and Herzegovina striker is on course to appear at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which would make him one of a select group of players aged 40 or over ever to grace the tournament. Whether Bosnia's qualification is confirmed or still being secured, the story is already writing itself.
Dzeko's CV reads like a guided tour of European football's biggest rooms. Manchester City. Roma. Inter. Fenerbahçe. He arrived at City in January 2011 and left four years later with two Premier League titles and a reputation as one of the most technically complete centre-forwards in the division — the kind of striker who could hold the ball, link play, and still find the net in the moments that mattered.
At Roma, he became something close to a legend. Seasons of consistent output in Serie A, a partnership with the Olimpico crowd that felt genuinely earned. Then Inter, where he contributed to a Champions League final run under Simone Inzaghi in 2022-23. Now, deep into his forties, he is still turning out for club and country — and apparently still good enough to matter at international level.
The list of outfield players to have appeared at a World Cup aged 40 or over is short enough that you can count them without running out of fingers. Reaching that group requires not just longevity but relevance — a manager who still picks you, a body that still cooperates, a national team that still needs what you offer. Dzeko, if Bosnia's qualification holds, would tick all three.
Bosnia have never appeared at a FIFA World Cup as a fully established footballing nation — their sole previous appearance came in 2014 in Brazil, where Dzeko scored against Iran. The idea that he could bookend that journey, first cap to potential farewell on the biggest stage, more than a decade apart, is the kind of narrative that doesn't need embellishment.
BBC Sport reports that Dzeko is set to join this list, though the precise status of Bosnia's qualification — confirmed or still in progress — is not yet fully clear. The 2026 World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico, takes place in the summer of that year, at which point Dzeko will be 40. The detail worth watching is whether Bosnia can see out whatever remains of their qualifying campaign.
He has already played in a World Cup, won league titles in England and Italy, and reached a Champions League final. At this point, a 40-year-old World Cup appearance would be less a surprise and more a formality — just Dzeko doing what Dzeko does, slightly later than anyone expected.
There are players who age gracefully and then there is Edin Dzeko — a man who has spent the better part of two decades refusing to read the room.
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BBC Sport — Football
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“Stays on World Cup — different angle, same beat.”
INTRonald Koeman had zijn WK-selectie op 25 mei willen bekendmaken. Dat wordt 27 mei. Twee dagen, geen uitleg — en precies genoeg ruimte om je af te vragen wat er nog niet zeker is.
“Stays on World Cup — different angle, same beat.”
INTRonald Koeman had zijn WK-selectie op 25 mei willen bekendmaken. Dat wordt 27 mei. Twee dagen, geen uitleg — en precies genoeg ruimte om je af te vragen wat er nog niet zeker is.
