Bosnia-Herzegovina

Bosnia and Herzegovina have seen a steady rise in their fortunes on the international football stage in recent times. Historically, they have managed multiple play-off appearances and qualified for one FIFA World Cup. More often than not, the team produces solid results in qualifiers and challenges for a top spot.

From 1920 to 1992, the players lined up for Yugoslavia, but following the outbreak of the Bosnian War and subsequent independence, a new football nation arose from the ashes.

The early period saw Bosnia and Herzegovina have to wait until the 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifiers to compete for a place in a major competition. Bosnia and Herzegovina finished fourth in a group that included Greece, Denmark, Croatia and Slovenia. This was then subsequently followed by further disappointment with lackluster campaigns in the UEFA Euro 2000 qualifiers, as well as the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

This early period was followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina coming very close to qualifying directly for their first major competition, UEFA Euro 2004, narrowly missing out by a single goal against Denmark.

Bosnia and Herzegovina failed to make the grade in the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, despite being unbeaten at home, and the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifiers, which saw their poor home form cost them. Bosnia and Herzegovina then experienced double heartbreak, bowing out twice in the playoffs to Portugal, first 2–0 on aggregate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup decider and then 6–2 on aggregate in the UEFA Euro 2012 decider.

Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their first major tournament, by beating Lithuania in October 2013. They managed to finish third in a group which included Argentina and won their first match 3–1 over Iran. Nigeria pipped them for second place in the group with a 1–0 win marred with controversy following an incorrectly-disallowed goal by Edin Džeko in the first half.

In the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifiers, Bosnia and Herzegovina finished third behind Belgium and Wales. After a bad start to the qualifiers with a surprise 2–1 defeat at home against Cyprus and managing just two points in four games, Safet Sušić was dismissed and replaced by Mehmed Baždarević.

After the slow start, Bosnian performance improved dramatically, with five wins in their remaining six matches, including victories over Wales and Israel along with three clean sheets. However, they ultimately failed to qualify after a two legged playoff encounter with the Republic of Ireland. Bosnia and Herzegovina failed to make back-to-back FIFA World Cups after failing to qualify to the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

Bosnia and Herzegovina won their UEFA Nations League group and guaranteed a playoffs berth for UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying. Still, they finished fourth in their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying group with the manager Robert Prosinečki, missing out on direct qualification and entered the playoffs, and with new manager Dušan Bajević, they ultimately missed out on yet another Euro after losing to Northern Ireland on penalties. They finished bottom of Group 1 in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A, thus relegating them to the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B.

Following several years of disappointment, Bulgarian Ivaylo Petev was named as Bosnia and Herzegovina's new manager, marking the first time a Bosnia and Herzegovina manager was not from the former Yugoslavia. In their first campaign under Petev, Bosnia and Herzegovina were drawn into a group with 2018 FIFA World Cup champions France and kept their chances of qualification alive until the final two matches; ultimately failing to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He also led the team to winning Group 3 of the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League B, thus earning promotion back to 2024–25 UEFA Nations League A and guaranteed a play-off berth for the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.

They suffered disappointment in their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying group that saw three managers: Faruk Hadžibegić, Meho Kodro and Savo Milošević pick up only one win each for a total of 9 points and entered the playoffs. There, they lost 2–1 to Ukraine and were eliminated from UEFA Euro 2024.