Haris Tabakovic: From Swiss-born refugee to Bosnia's World Cup striker

Haris Tabakovic's journey to international football is intertwined with the turbulent history of the Balkans. Born in Switzerland to Bosnian parents who fled during the 1990s Bosnian War, Tabakovic spent much of his early life navigating two worlds. His family left Bosnia during one of the region's darkest periods, as the dissolution of Yugoslavia sparked brutal conflicts marked by ethnic cleansing and accusations of genocide. Despite being born and raised in Switzerland, Tabakovic chose to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina internationally, requesting a change in his football nationality in 2023 after representing Switzerland's youth teams without advancing to the senior squad.

Tabakovic's path to professional football was marked by determination and sacrifice. While developing his career in Swiss football, he worked as a bank apprentice, arriving at work by 8 a.m. and rushing to catch trains to Berna for training, arriving home around 10 p.m. Standing 1.96 meters tall, he moved through clubs in Hungary and Austria—including modest Austria Lustenau and the more established Austria Vienna—before establishing himself in German football with Hertha Berlin and Hoffenheim. He now plays for Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he has scored 13 goals in 32 matches.

Reflecting on his immigrant experience, Tabakovic stated: "Everyone is welcome to be who they want, but they need to integrate into the new country, the system and society. I always internalized this and that attitude helped me a lot." His narrative exemplifies the experiences of many Bosnian refugees whose families fled war and sought new opportunities abroad.

At the World Cup, Tabakovic faces a particularly poignant fixture: Bosnia and Herzegovina will play Switzerland on June 18 at 16h in Los Angeles. In his first World Cup match, the opening group game against Canada on June 12, Tabakovic remained on the bench during a 1-1 draw. He has earned 10 caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina, scoring four goals. The matchup against Switzerland carries symbolic weight for a player who was born there but chose to represent his ancestral homeland on football's biggest stage.