The Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team qualified for their first major tournament in 2014. The team only began attempting to qualify in 1998. Until 1992 players for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team played for Yugoslavia. During their relatively short history as an independent footballing nation the team have performed well on the international stage.
During the outbreak of the Bosnian war a few Bosnia and Herzegovina players played in a humanitarian friendly. The game was played in 1993 and was a momentous occasion for Blaz Sliskovic as he became the first ever Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team captain. It was not until 1995 that the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team was granted provisional FIFA membership and 1996 when they were given full membership. They are actually the only national in modern day football that were given FIFA membership before they were given UEFA membership.
Pre-independence history
Before Bosnia and Herzegovina became independent the national team players were part of the Yugoslavia national football team. Between 1930 and 1990 the side went to eight world cups. The side’s best performance came in 1962 when they made it to the semi-final before being beaten by Czechoslovakia. They also made it to three quarter finals.