Esmir Bajraktarević, by scoring the decisive penalty against Italy, wrote his name in golden letters in the history of Bosnian and Herzegovinian football, and UEFA recalled his beginnings with video footage from 2010.
In the video, a five-year-old Bajraktarević is playing with a ball in his backyard in the United States, wearing a shirt with Džeko’s name and face on it.
Fourteen years later, Esmir debuted for the Dragons and played alongside his idol, whom he had only dreamed of meeting in 2010. On Tuesday, he played the full 120 minutes in the playoff final against Italy and scored the final goal in the penalty shootout, sending Bosnia and Herzegovina to the World Cup.
Bajraktarević and Džeko will play together at the World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, hoping to achieve a historic feat for the national team – advancing to the knockout stage.
The Dragons will compete in Group B at the World Cup, where they will face Canada, Qatar, and Switzerland.
The team will play its first match in Toronto, Canada, on June 12 against Canada, which will start at 9:00 p.m., local time. The remaining two group matches will be played in the United States.
On June 18 at 9:00 p.m., they will play against Switzerland in Inglewood, and on June 24 at 9:00 p.m., against Qatar in Seattle.
The two top teams from each group will advance to theknockout stage, along with the eight of twelve best third-placed teams.
