Edin Dzeko has confirmed that he will retire from international duty after nearly two decades representing a national team whose jersey practically became synonymous with his name.
Edin Dzeko Announces His Retirement From the Bosnia National Team
One of the most important careers in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina soccer is about to come to an end.
The Schalke 04 striker, who continues to compete at the highest level at the age of 40, will have one final opportunity to say goodbye to his supporters. His last match is scheduled for October 2 against Sweden in the UEFA Nations League.
It will be much more than just another match for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
It will mark the farewell of the national team’s all-time leading goalscorer and most-capped player.
Dzeko Bows Out After 151 Matches for Bosnia
Dzeko’s story with his country began in 2007, when he made his senior international debut against Turkey.
From that moment on, he became the attacking reference point for several generations of Bosnian soccer.
Coaches, teammates and different eras of the national team came and went, but the striker remained one of the constants. His international career reached 151 appearances, while he also established himself as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Through his social media accounts, Dzeko explained what representing his country for so many years meant to him.
“Nothing in my career has ever compared to the pride I have felt every single time I wore that shirt,” the striker wrote.
He also acknowledged that remaining with the national team until the age of 40 was only possible because he always tried to give everything whenever he was called up.
The Man Who Led Bosnia to Its First World Cup
Dzeko’s legacy cannot be explained by goals and appearances alone.
His name is directly connected to the greatest moment in the national team’s history: qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
That generation took Bosnia and Herzegovina to a FIFA World Cup for the first time, with Dzeko as one of its biggest stars.
In Brazil, the striker also wrote his name into the history books by scoring against Iran in a 3-1 victory during what remains the country’s first and, so far, only appearance at a FIFA World Cup.
At club level, his career has also taken him to some of the biggest stages in European soccer, representing teams such as VfL Wolfsburg, Manchester City, AS Roma, Inter Milan and, currently, Schalke 04.
But for Dzeko, none of those jerseys carried the same meaning as the one belonging to his country.
One Final Night With His People
The striker still has one final chapter left to write.
Dzeko asked the supporters to join him against Sweden so they can experience his farewell from Bosnia and Herzegovina together.
“I just hope you will be there that night against Sweden, so we can share one more emotion,” he wrote.
After that, the time will come to step aside.
Bosnia and Herzegovina will have to begin a new era without the player who, for nearly 20 years, was its captain, goalscorer and biggest reference point.
Edin Dzeko will leave the national team behind with something that will be extremely difficult to replace.
Not just his goals.
But an entire generation of Bosnian soccer defined by his name.
