Bosnia and Herzegovina starting lineup vs Canada confirmed for FIFA World Cup 2026 clash

Bosnia and Herzegovina will begin their FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign against Canada tonight.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will end their 12-year absence from the World Cup when they face co-hosts Canada at BMO Field in Toronto on June 12, 2026. The Dragons, who made their only appearance in the tournament as an independent nation in 2014, will look to shed their underdog tag and make a deep run in the tournament.

“We are a small country; this is our second-ever World Cup, and for sure we are sort of an underdog in many of the matches ahead,” Bosnia head coach Sergej Barbarez said in the pre-match press conference.

The Balkan nation shocked the footballing world by eliminating four-time World Cup champions Italy in the play-off final to seal a place in the expanded 48-team tournament in North America. Facing the co-hosts in the opening match is a good opportunity for Bosnia to start their campaign positively, with Qatar and Switzerland set to face them in the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 Group B matches.

Let’s look at the Bosnia and Herzegovina starting lineup for the FIFA World Cup 2026 match against Canada:

Bosnia and Herzegovina (4-4-2): Nikola Vasilj; Amar Dedic, Nikola Katic, Tarik Muharemovic, Sead Kolasinac (c); Esmir Bajraktarevic, Benjamin Tahirovic, Ivan Basic, Amar Memic; Ermedin Demirovic, Jovo Lukic.

Substitutes: Mladen Jurkas (gk), Martin Zlomislic (gk), Kerim Alajbegovic, Samed Bazdar, Dzenis Burnic, Edin Dzeko, Armin Gigovic, Amir Hadziahmetovic, Dennis Hadzikadunic, Ermin Mahmic, Arjan Malic, Nihad Mujakic, Stjepan Radeljic, Ivan Sunjic, Haris Tabakovic.

Thoughts on the Bosnia & Herzegovina lineup

Bosnia’s talismanic striker Edin Dzeko, now 40 years old, was surprisingly dropped to the substitute bench, with relatively inexperienced striker Jovo Lukic taking his place. Haris Tabakovic is still not match fit, having suffered an ankle injury, so Lukic is joined by Ermedin Demirovic, who is coming off a good season with Stuttgart.

The young pairing of Ivan Basic and Benjamin Tahirovic will anchor the four-man midfield, with Amar Memic and Esmir Bajraktarevic playing in the wide areas. Esmir Bajraktarevic will be one to keep an eye on, with the 19-year-old PSV winger enjoying a breakout season in the Eredivisie.

Benfica star Amar Dedic and former Arsenal man Sead Kolasinac will start in the full-back positions. Young centre-back Tarik Muharemovic will be joined in the heart of defence by Schalke defender Nikola Katic, who scored in the friendly against Panama. Nikola Vasilj will start between the sticks, with the FC St. Pauli goalkeeper set to earn his 21st cap.

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