Bosnia’s new talent

At 18, Kerim Alajbegović is one of the most promising wingers of the new generation and already dreams of becoming one of the future leaders of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team.

Alajbegović was born in Cologne, in western Germany, on 21 September 2007. His father, Semin, was also a footballer and played for smaller clubs in Germany after emigrating from Bugojno in Bosnia.

A versatile player, the youngster can also play as an attacking midfielder. He began his footballing career in the youth ranks at Köln, his hometown club, before joining Bayer Leverkusen’s academy in 2021.

In 2025, Alajbegović left Germany for the first time to join Salzburg in Austria. In July, aged 17, he made his Champions League debut for the club against Brann. Later that month, he scored his first goal as a professional in an Austrian Cup match against Union Dietach. In total, he scored 13 goals in 44 appearances for Salzburg before returning to Leverkusen.

During this time, Alajbegović also began representing Bosnia at youth level and went on to captain the Under-17 national team.

“Being Bosnian is something special.” – Kerim Alajbegović

Although he was born in Germany, he has always maintained a strong connection with his parents’ homeland and never had any doubts about which national team he wanted to play for: “Being Bosnian is something special.” (FIFA)

Alajbegović made his senior international debut in September 2025, in a World Cup qualifier against San Marino, and immediately made his mark with a goal.

In the matches that followed, the youngster continued to be a key figure in the small nation’s campaign towards a dramatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup, with performances that caught the eye – particularly against Wales and Italy in the UEFA play-offs.

Following in Džeko’s footsteps

The last time Bosnia had competed in the tournament was more than a decade earlier, in 2014, when the team was led by the legendary Edin Džeko – the only Bosnian in history to be nominated for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.

At 40, the striker is one of Alajbegović’s greatest inspirations. Džeko is by far the national team’s all-time leading goalscorer, with 73 goals. To put that into perspective, Vedad Ibišević, who is second on the list, has scored 28.

It took Džeko a long career to become one of the greatest heroes in Bosnian football. Alajbegović, however, seems to have everything it takes to follow a similar path and, if he continues to develop as he has been doing, he may well become one of the country’s biggest names in the future.

The national team manager, Sergej Barbarez, is also well aware of the youngster’s potential: “There are high expectations of him.” (FIFA)

History made at 18

So far, Alajbegović has lived up to all that expectation.

At the 2026 World Cup, he was one of the standout performers in the match against Qatar and was named man of the match, helping Bosnia secure their first-ever qualification for the knockout stages of a World Cup.

His stunning goal against the Middle Eastern side also went down in history. At 18 years and 276 days, Alajbegović became the eighth-youngest player to score at a World Cup, ahead of names such as Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal.

He also became the youngest player to score from outside the box at a World Cup since records began in 1966. The record had previously been held by France’s Kylian Mbappé, a nine-time nominee for the ‘Ballon d'Or’ award.

Everything suggests, therefore, that Alajbegović is following in Džeko’s footsteps and establishing himself as one of the most promising attacking talents of Bosnia’s new generation.

And there is another aspect where their paths are beginning to cross: Italy.

A new chapter in Italy

In mid-2026, Alajbegović moved to Serie A, taking another important step in his career by joining Luciano Spalletti’s Juventus in time for the 2026–27 season.

Džeko, of course, built much of his legacy in Italian football. He spent around ten years in the country, scoring over 100 goals for Roma, winning four titles with Inter Milan and spending a season at Fiorentina.

In a way, the striker has become almost synonymous with the Italian league. Now, Alajbegović will have the chance to write his own story in Italian football – and, who knows, perhaps follow in the footsteps of one of the greatest players in Bosnian history.

“Kerim is one of the most talented young players in our country.” – Sergej Barbarez

For Barbarez, the move to Turin could be the ideal setting for the youngster to take the next step: “Joining a club like Juventus is a massive achievement and a well-deserved reward for the commitment and dedication he has shown. He is one of the most talented young players in our country. He has exceptional technique, great confidence on the ball and the right mindset to become a champion. What impresses me most is his desire to learn and improve every day. If he remains humble and focused, as he knows how to be, I’m sure he’ll succeed.” (GOAL)

All this hard work is already beginning to bear fruit, and he has just been nominated for the Men's Young Talent of the Year award at the Ballon d’Or ceremony.