Bosnian ball boy Cizmic recounts role in historic World Cup qualifying win
Afan Cizmic, a 14-year-old ball boy, has revealed his pivotal role in Bosnia and Herzegovina's dramatic penalty shootout victory over Italy that secured their place at the 2026 World Cup. In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Cizmic described how he stole a note containing penalty instructions from Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma during the decisive shootout in Zenica last month.
Cizmic, who is an academy player at Čelik Zenica, explained that he saw Donnarumma consult a small piece of paper and leave it by the edge of the penalty area before the first spot-kick was taken by Bosnian player Amar Tahirović. "I ran onto the pitch to take it," Cizmic said. "It was an instinctive choice, from the heart. Without thinking about the consequences or the judgments. I just wanted to do something useful for my country."
The action reportedly destabilized the Italian captain. According to Cizmic, Donnarumma initially believed a steward had taken the note and began shouting at one, before then attempting to grab it back from Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj. The match official, Clément Turpin, was forced to intervene. Donnarumma failed to save any of Bosnia and Herzegovina's penalties, with the hosts winning the shootout 3-1 after a 1-1 aggregate draw to qualify for their first World Cup since 2014.
The incident has turned Cizmic into a minor celebrity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he has been hailed as the 'youngest twelfth man in history'. His future ambitions, however, remain firmly on the pitch. A fan of Cristiano Ronaldo, Cizmic dreams of one day playing for the national team on the same Zenica pitch where he served as a ball boy.
For Italy, the defeat marks a second consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup, a significant financial and sporting blow for the four-time champions. The Italian Football Federation has reportedly lodged a complaint with FIFA regarding the incident, though any disciplinary action is considered unlikely given the spontaneous nature of the event. The stolen note itself has since been sold at a charity auction, with proceeds benefiting a Bosnian youth football foundation.
The extraordinary story highlights the fine margins and unpredictable human elements that often decide high-stakes international football. While Cizmic's actions were unorthodox, they fall within the chaotic theatre of a penalty shootout, where gamesmanship and psychology play as much a part as technique. His brief moment of intervention has secured a place in Bosnian football folklore and altered the World Cup destinies of two nations.
