Dzeko's last dance could be Bosnia's new beginning

Dzeko's last dance could be Bosnia's new beginningImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Edin Dzeko has scored 73 goals in 148 appearances for Bosnia and HerzegovinaByAlex BrothertonBBC Sport journalistPublished2 minutes agoWhen Edin Dzeko decides the time is right to retire, the highlights reel of his career will be extensive.Two Premier League titles headline an impressive collection of honours won with the likes of Manchester City, Inter Milan and Wolfsburg.Yet the enduring image of the 40-year-old's career may prove to be an altogether more vulnerable one.Moments after Bosnia-Herzegovina had beaten Italy on penalties to qualify for only their second World Cup, Dzeko celebrated cautiously while nursing his arm in a sling.It's the kind of wear and tear you might expect for a man who for almost 20 years has carried the hopes of a nation still deeply affected by past horrors."His career is connected to the country's own image - resilience, persistence and proving people wrong," Bosnian journalist Sasa Ibrulj says of Dzeko.Placed in a relatively even group with Canada, Switzerland and Qatar, the final chapter of Dzeko's story as a player could be the beginning of a new one for his country.His team's campaign begins against co-hosts Canada (Friday, 20:00 BST).The anatomy of a Golden Boot winner - and who could win it in 2026?Published3 JuneWorld Cup 2026: All 48 squads confirmed Published2 JuneThe Bosnian Diamond - as Dzeko is known - was forged against a backdrop of war and suffering.Dzeko was six years old when the Bosnian War began in 1992, a conflict that cost the lives of around 80,000 fellow Bosnian Muslims. The Srebrenica Genocide perpetrated by Bosnian Serb forces was the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust.His family remained in Sarajevo during the near four-year siege of the city, as Serbian snipers targeted civilians including children. He moved to live with his grandparents after his parents' h...