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Match Preview
- Group B's final matchday sees both teams likely playing their last game of the tournament. Bosnia and Herzegovina return to the World Cup after 12 years since Brazil 2014, with 40-year-old captain Edin Džeko (Schalke 04, 148 caps, 73 goals) taking his final bow. Qatar under Julen Lopetegui seek their first-ever group stage win to erase the humiliation of their 2022 home tournament's zero-point finish.
- Bosnia lines up in 4-4-2 while Qatar deploys 4-3-3, setting up contrasting tactical approaches. The midfield battle features Bosnia's 18-year-old prodigy Kerim Alibegović (Red Bull Salzburg, two-footed, returning to Bayer Leverkusen post-tournament) against Qatar's veteran playmaker Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd, 35, Qatar's all-time leader with 185 caps and 41 goals).
- Bosnia's strike force pairs all-time top scorer Džeko with VfB Stuttgart's Ermedin Demirović (28, 2025 DFB-Pokal winner). Qatar's veteran defensive duo of Boualem Khoukhi (2019 Asian Cup MVP, 35) and Pedro Miguel (98 caps, 35) must contain them. Bosnia's aerial threat is significant with 193cm Džeko and substitute Haris Tabaković (196cm, on loan at Borussia Mönchengladbach) providing height advantages.
- Qatar's attack revolves around 2024 Asian Footballer of the Year Akram Afif (Al-Sadd, 2023 Asian Cup MVP and top scorer with 8 goals, 124 caps, 39 goals) operating from the left wing. He faces Bosnia's young right-back Arijan Marić (20, Sturm Graz), a massive experience mismatch favoring the Qatari star who has dominated Asian football for years.
- Bosnia's Sead Kolašinac (Atalanta, 33, ex-Arsenal, 65 caps) and Nikola Katić (Schalke 04, 29, ex-Rangers, formerly Croatia international) are former teammates at Schalke. Including Džeko, three Schalke players will coordinate down the left and central areas, bringing established chemistry to Bosnia's defensive structure.
- Qatar keeps all-time leading scorer Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail, 115 caps, 55 goals, 2019 Asian Cup top scorer with 9 goals) on the bench, starting Edmilson Junior (31, Belgian-born, naturalized 2024) on the right wing. Karim Boudiaf (Al-Duhail, 35, French-born, 117 caps) anchors the midfield as experienced naturalized players control the game's tempo.
- Bosnia's right winger Esmir Bajraktarević (PSV Eindhoven, 21, 2025 Eredivisie champion) previously played for MLS's New England Revolution, making him familiar with North American conditions. Seattle Stadium's atmosphere could energize him as he uses his left foot to threaten Qatar's defense from the right flank.