Edin Dzeko Could Become The Second Oldest Outfield Player In World Cup History Against Canada Today

Roger Milla scored for Cameroon against Russia at the 1994 World Cup in the United States when he was 42 years and 39 days old. That remains the only occasion in tournament history that an outfield player has appeared at a World Cup at the age of 40 or above. Until today, potentially. Edin Dzeko is 40 years and 87 days old, captains Bosnia and Herzegovina against Canada at BMO Field in Toronto this afternoon, and is expected to start. If he plays, he becomes the second outfield player in World Cup history to do so at that age.

He is one of three outfield players aged 40 or over at this tournament. Cristiano Ronaldo at 41 and Luka Modric at 40 are the others, both carrying Ballon d'Or pedigree into what will be their final World Cup appearances. Dzeko, who was never quite in that bracket of global recognition, has arrived here via a different route and with a story just as compelling.

The Career That Got Him Here

Dzeko enters the tournament as Bosnia's all-time leading scorer with 73 goals and their most capped player with 148 appearances. He has been at the centre of the national team since his debut in 2005, led them to their only previous World Cup in 2014 in Brazil, and spent the years since driving a generation of younger players toward qualification. Bosnia beat Italy in a playoff final in Zenica on March 31, with Dzeko playing through a collarbone injury sustained in the final minutes of extra time. His celebration afterwards, left arm raised filming his teammates singing with his right arm strapped to his body, became one of the images of the qualifying campaign.

At club level, he spent the 2025-26 season at Schalke, helping them win promotion to the Bundesliga and becoming the oldest goalscorer in the history of Germany's second division. He told Sky Sports he had not imagined being here at 40 but that listening to his body and working harder before and after training sessions had made it possible.

What Today Means

Bosnia face Canada, Switzerland and Qatar in Group B. This is the first World Cup match ever played on Canadian soil. For Dzeko, it is a second chance at a tournament he last appeared in 12 years ago. He is not here as a figurehead. He is expected to start, lead the line, and chase history in the process.