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Edin Dzeko to make final Bosnia appearance against Sweden

From The Punch · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Edin Dzeko will play his final match for Bosnia and Herzegovina against Sweden on October 2, ending his international career.
  • Dzeko, who made his debut in 2007, helped Bosnia and Herzegovina qualify for its first World Cup in 2014 and scored in the team’s first World Cup victory.
  • He will retire as the country’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 151 caps and 73 goals.

Edin Dzeko says he never imagined how emotional it would feel to announce the end of his Bosnia and Herzegovina career. On October 2, against Sweden, the 40-year-old striker will make his final appearance for the national team.

Sometimes I found myself wondering when this moment would come. But I never imagined how emotional I would be writing these words.

· Edin DzekoDzeko described the emotions surrounding his decision to retire from international football.

“Sometimes I found myself wondering when this moment would come. But I never imagined how emotional I would be writing these words,” Dzeko said in a social media post published by FIFA. He added: “On October 2nd, against Sweden, I will play my next and final match for our national team.”

Dzeko debuted for Bosnia and Herzegovina at 21, scoring in a 3-2 European Championship qualifying win over Türkiye. He soon became one of the country’s central figures, scoring nine goals during qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.

On October 2nd, against Sweden, I will play my next and final match for our national team.

· Edin DzekoHe announced the date and opponent for his final Bosnia and Herzegovina appearance.

His defining international campaign came four years later. Dzeko scored 10 times in qualifying as Bosnia and Herzegovina reached the World Cup for the first time. He also assisted Vedad Ibisevic’s decisive goal in the 1-0 win over Lithuania that secured qualification for Brazil 2014. At the tournament, Dzeko scored the opening goal in the team’s first World Cup victory, a 3-1 win over Iran.

Nothing in my career has ever compared to the pride I have felt every single time I wore that shirt.

· Edin DzekoDzeko reflected on representing Bosnia and Herzegovina.

His influence continued in the latest qualifying campaign. He scored late in a playoff semifinal win over Wales before Bosnia and Herzegovina defeated Italy on penalties in Zenica to secure another World Cup appearance. “Nothing in my career has ever compared to the pride I have felt every single time I wore that shirt,” Dzeko said. “It was my childhood dream, a dream I carried with me on each of the 151 occasions I had the honour of representing my country on a football pitch.”

It was my childhood dream, a dream I carried with me on each of the 151 occasions I had the honour of representing my country on a football pitch.

· Edin DzekoHe linked his international record to a childhood ambition.
About this summary

Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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