Beijing time (CEST) on June 13, the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team is about to challenge host Canada in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As part of "The Language of Football" FIFA World Cup series, The Athletic interviewed fans from all 48 participating countries in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. In this column, Bosnian fans also shared their expectations for the Bosnian team in this FIFA World Cup.
Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosnia and Herzegovina) successfully qualified for the FIFA World Cup, marking their second time in history to enter the main event of the FIFA World Cup. For a country with a population of just over 3 million and independent for only over thirty years, this is in itself a remarkable achievement. However, the special nature of Bosnia and Herzegovina is not only reflected on the field, but also off the field.
As fan Amila Sirco, who works at a travel agency and has been involved in national team logistics, including preparations for this FIFA World Cup, said: "In the United States, most people don't even know what Bosnia and Herzegovina is." She said, "Our emotions are so strong because of our history, our identity, and we have been striving to define ourselves. You support Bosnia and Herzegovina not because it's easy or successful, but because it belongs to you."
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, football is not just a sport; it is a combination of passion, intensity, commitment, and belonging. The phrase "Above our heads, the sky will burn" vividly describes the atmosphere during national team matches—as soon as the game begins, you can feel the entire nation boiling with excitement from the sounds and colors above the stadium.
The scenes of Bosnian fans celebrating their team's victory over Italy to qualify for the FIFA World Cup have become one of the iconic memories. For this country, football even plays a role as an "emotional outlet."
Between 1992 and 1995, Bosnia and Herzegovina experienced a brutal ethnic conflict war, which is estimated to have caused about 100,000 deaths. This war also led to a large diaspora of people overseas, forming a huge Bosnian diaspora community, totaling several million.
Sirco added: "The diaspora community is an important part of our identity. You can find Bosnian fans all over the world, sometimes even more overseas than at home."
In the United States alone, there are approximately 350,000 people of Bosnian descent. This includes Esmir Bajraktarevic, who was born in Wisconsin, USA, played for the US national team, but chose to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024. His family comes from Srebrenica, and he has now become one of the key players for the Bosnian national team. This also reflects the diverse composition of the Bosnian national team and its fan base.
"You cannot sever our connection to our homeland," said Bosnian journalist Ika Ferrer Gotic. "We have experienced war, division, and suffering. The national team proves that Bosnia and Herzegovina is still breathing, dreaming, and fighting. Football here is like therapy; it brings hope and is a national adhesive."
Semir Mustafic, a reporter for Bosnian TV station N1, stated that qualifying for the FIFA World Cup has significant emotional meaning for the entire nation: "It helps people temporarily forget the pressures of daily life. The whole country celebrates together. Supporting the national team is an act of defiance, a source of pride, and a way to gain recognition from the world."
The largest Bosnian fan organization is "BHFanaticos." Since 2000, this organization has followed the national team to football, basketball, and handball events around the world.
Member Kemal said: "We represent extreme passion—fireworks, shouts, and that electric atmosphere when Bosnian fans gather."
Due to its large diaspora base, the organization also has a large number of members in North America. Fan Erva, who lives in the United States, said that this FIFA World Cup has made the entire community exceptionally excited:
"You will see Bosnian fans 'invade' every game. In Canada and the United States combined, there are approximately 400,000 people of Bosnian descent."
Despite being far from their homeland, this fervor has not diminished in the slightest. Erva added: "Supporting the national team is defending our values and expressing pride in being Bosnian. This love transcends religious or ethnic differences."
Another member, Benjo, also believes that Bosnian fans will have a strong presence at the FIFA World Cup: "Many people underestimate us because of the small size of our country, but Bosnian fans always appear in large numbers overseas. We are known for our intense pyrotechnic atmosphere, continuous singing, and strong loyalty."
Mustafic concluded: "This FIFA World Cup will be full of blue and yellow jerseys." Gotic added that supporting Bosnia and Herzegovina is not just a sporting act but a state of mind: "Supporting this country is like having the nation's soul beating in your chest."
The internal identity structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina is highly complex. The 2013 census showed that approximately 50% are Bosniaks (primarily Muslim), 30% are Bosnian Serbs (primarily Orthodox Christian), and 15% are Bosnian Croats (primarily Catholic).
The country consists of two highly autonomous entities: the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republika Srpska, as well as the Brčko District. They operate under the framework of the federal government and implement a unique rotating three-member presidency (one from each of the three major ethnic groups, with the chairman rotating every eight months).
This structure also means that the country has cultural and political complexities. The Republika Srpska has its own government institutions but still belongs to the overall state system of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Mustafic pointed out: "Some people do not support the Bosnian national team, but rather identify more with neighboring Serbia or Croatia." However, he also emphasized that football still has a unifying role.
The head coach of the Bosnian national team, Barbarez, himself comes from a multi-ethnic family. He once said: "My mother comes from a mixed marriage of Croat and Bosniak, and my father is Serb. In our family, religion and nationality have never been major issues."
Mustafic added: "The national team is multi-ethnic, and it proves that unity brings more success than division."
Croatia also participated in this FIFA World Cup and is considered Bosnia and Herzegovina's biggest football rival. But fan Gotic said: "They are indeed our biggest rival, but honestly, I also hope Serbia could come to the FIFA World Cup. We could have supported each other, we were siblings. The war is over."
She concluded: "Football is one of the few things that can truly unite us. This passion stems from the experience of survival; our flame is love, not anger."
Regardless of Bosnia and Herzegovina's performance in this FIFA World Cup, their fans will bring unique colors, noise, and atmosphere. As the iconic slogan says: Above our heads, the sky will burn.