Legendary Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko to retire from international football

Bosnia striker ‌Edin Dzeko has announced that he will ⁠retire from ⁠international football next month, bringing the curtain down on a career spanning nearly two decades.

The 40-year-old Schalke ⁠04 forward, who has also played for clubs including Manchester City, AS Roma and Inter Milan, said on Thursday his ⁠final national team appearance would come against Sweden in the Nations League on October 2.

“Nothing in my career has ever compared to the pride I have felt every single time ‌I wore that shirt,” Dzeko posted on Instagram.

“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 … Almost 20 years have passed since that match ⁠against Turkiye.

“So many things have changed, and ⁠I have changed too, but my love for this shirt never has. Now I feel the time has come to step aside. If ⁠I have made it to the age of 40 with the national team, it ⁠is because I truly gave everything ⁠I had. Every time. Everything.”

Dzeko made his international debut in 2007 and has scored 73 goals in his 151 appearances, making him Bosnia’s most-capped ‌player and all-time leading scorer.

He helped the country qualify for their first World Cup in 2014 and also ‌played ‌a key role in the 2026 tournament, where they reached the last 32.