Edin Dzeko will be a part of a really choose group of gamers to characteristic within the finals of a World Cup after his fortieth birthday, having been named in Bosnia-Herzegovina‘s squad for this summer time’s event.
Dzeko’s inclusion isn’t any shock, because the Schalke striker scored six objectives in 9 appearances in serving to Bosnia attain the finals for the primary time since 2014, together with an equaliser within the play-off semi-final towards Wales.
Solely seven gamers have featured within the World Cup after their fortieth birthday, although six of them have been goalkeepers.
Roger Milla is the only outfield participant on the record, having made two appearances for Cameroon on the 1994 World Cup. Milla scored in his remaining World Cup look, a 6-1 defeat to Russia.
Dzeko, Modric and Ronaldo set to make historical past
Croatia’s Luka Modric, 40, and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, are additionally anticipated to emulate Milla by that includes at this 12 months’s event in North America.
However it’s Dzeko who will achieve this first, as Bosnia face co-hosts Canada on June 12, the second day of the event, in Toronto.
Dzeko featured in all three of Bosnia’s video games on the 2014 World Cup, scoring of their 3-1 win over Iran as they completed third in Group F.
Drawn alongside Canada, Qatar and Switzerland in Group B, a Bosnia aspect that beat Italy on penalties to achieve the finals could have expectations of reaching the knockouts of the expanded 48-team event for the primary time of their historical past.
Bosnia-Herzegovina squad in full
Goalkeepers: Nikola Vasilj (St Pauli), Martin Zlomislic (Rijeka), Osman Hadzikic (Slaven Belupo)
Defenders: Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta), Amar Dedic (Benfica), Nihad Mujakic (Gaziantep), Nikola Katic (Schalke 04), Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo), Stjepan Radeljic (Rijeka), Dennis Hadzikadunic (Sampdoria), Nidal Celik (Lens)
Midfielders: Amir Hadziahmetovic (Hull Metropolis), Ivan Sunjic (Pafos), Ivan Primary (Astana), Dzenis Burnic (Karlsruher SC), Ermin Mahmic (Slovan Liberec), Benjamin Tahirovic (Brondby), Amar Memic (Viktoria Plzen), Armin Gigovic (Younger Boys), Kerim Alajbegovic (RB Salzburg), Esmir Bajraktarevic (PSV Eindhoven)
Forwards: Ermedin Demirovic (Stuttgart), Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj), Samed Bazdar (Jagiellonia Bialystok), Haris Tabakovic (Borussia Monchengladbach), Edin Dzeko (Schalke)
