Position: Forward
Date of Birth: March 17, 1986
Club: Manchester City
International Debut: v Turkey (June 6, 2007)
World Cup Appearances: 0
World Cup Goals: 0
Edin Dzeko will make an emotional debut at the 2014 FIFA World Cup when Bosnia-Herzegovina appear at the tournament as an independent nation for the first time.
The Balkan country had never qualified for a major tournament until a 1-0 victory in Lithuania last October ensured they finished top of UEFA Group G with 25 points, ahead of Greece on goal difference.
That offered a degree of redemption for Safet Susic's men, who suffered play-off heartbreak against Portugal in qualification for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Bosnia-Herzegovina will now grace the global football showpiece for the first time, something described as a "special" occasion by the tall striker.
"It's definitely a fantastic achievement," the 28-year-old said. "We waited a long 23 years, now we are going to Brazil - a first World Cup for us.
"It's a special thing. I'm so proud of what we achieved and of my country. Of course, there were many emotions."
The World Cup often provides a surprise, and having booked their passage to the finals, Bosnia-Herzegovina have been touted by several pundits as capable of causing a shock.
Any success that Susic's men do enjoy in Brazil is likely to depend upon the form of Dzeko, who is one of the undoubted poster-boys of the national team.
He shot to prominence back in his homeland with a goal on his debut, a 3-2 win against Turkey in June 2007.
Since then, his star has continued to rise. Domestically, he lifted the Bundesliga title with Wolfsburg, before adding to his medal collection following a move to Manchester City by winning two Premier Leagues as well as FA Cup and League Cup medals.
On the international scene, he averages almost a goal every other game and he has long since moved past Zvjezdan Misimovic as his country's record scorer.
His importance to Susic's side was clear in Bosnia-Herzegovina's qualification for Brazil, as he finished as the second-highest goalscorer in the UEFA section - his tally of 10 beaten only by Netherlands forward Robin van Persie.
Stuttgart's Vedad Ibisevic proved a valuable strike-partner throughout that successful campaign, weighing in with eight goals of his own and, with the attacking guile of Misimovic and Roma's Miralem Pjanic providing ample support, Dzeko could just prove to be one of the leading stars come the tournament proper.
However, his preparation for the World Cup has been marred somewhat by an apparent argument with Susic in the build-up.
He expressed his frustration at being made to play the entirety of a 2-0 defeat against Egypt in March despite feeling a niggling injury, while he was also critical of supporters who had jeered his performance.
Susic soon hit back at his talisman, telling Bosnian newspaper Dnevni Avaz: "He wanted to come off in the second half but I left him on because, despite his claim that he was suffering from a niggling knee injury, the team doctor said he was match-fit with a proper warm-up.
"People forget past merits very quickly and he can rest assured that they (the fans) will jeer him again if he doesn't live up to expectations."
Despite that fall-out, all ill-feeling is likely to be forgotten by the time the action gets under way in Brazil, with Dzeko's emotional first taste of World Cup action set to come against Argentina in Rio de Janeiro on June 15.