Football in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Football is the number one sport in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Even during the turbulent years of conflict, football never ground to a halt and the game quickly boomed again after the end of hostilities, even though there were still separate ethnic groups within the association, which was formed in 1992 and subsequently recognised by FIFA. Finally, in May 2002, these groups were united within the association, a move that led to the creation of a unified domestic league championship. In 2000, FIFA organised a friendly match in Sarajevo between the FIFA World Stars and Bosnia and Herzegovina, thereby breathing new life into the regions football. Today, Bosnia-Herzegovina are regular features in international football and were only one goal away from sealing qualification for EURO 2004 in Portugal. The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking also proves that Bosniaand Herzegovina are returning to the top table of international football, with the country jumping 25 places in 2003.