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Bosnia and Herzegovina booked their place at the World Cup the hard way in 2026, coming through the European play-offs to reach the tournament for only the second time in their history.
It is more than a decade on from their debut at Brazil 2014, and the first time they have reached the World Cup as the independent country they became in 1992, following the break-up of Yugoslavia.
However, as soccer fans now watch Bosnia and Herzegovina compete in North America, they may question why the country's official code appears as "BIH" rather than something like "BOS" or "BAH."
Here's the background on why Bosnia and Herzegovina's official country code is BIH.
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Why is Bosnia and Herzegovina BIH?
"BIH" is the official abbreviation for Bosnia and Herzegovina because it is derived from the country's name in its own language Bosna i Hercegovina, where the word "i" simply means "and."
Take the first letter of each word and you get BIH. Because of that, BIH is the country's official ISO alpha-3 code, and while some fans may expect "BOS" or "BAH" for "Bosnia and Herzegovina," FIFA uses the international standards. The country's shorter two-letter code is "BA," but tournaments like the World Cup display nations using their three-letter codes, which is why "BIH" is what appears on the scoreboard and in the group table.
Locals often write it as "BiH," with a lowercase "i," to reflect that it is only a connecting word rather than part of a place name.
MORE: Full 2026 World Cup Group B standings
Where is Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Bosnia and Herzegovina is in south eastern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. It is bordered by Croatia to the north and west, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the south east, with a tiny stretch of Adriatic Sea coastline around the town of Neum.
The country has an estimated population of around 3.2 million people, with Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian recognised as official languages. Its capital and largest city is Sarajevo.
Bosnia and Herzegovina are making a long-awaited return to the World Cup in 2026, more than a decade after their debut at Brazil 2014. Led by 40-year-old captain Edin Džeko and managed by Sergej Barbarez, the Dragons (Zmajevi) came through the European play-offs, beating Wales and then Italy on penalties, and have been drawn in Group B alongside Switzerland, Canada and Qatar.
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