The Superliga's top scorer can make his World Cup debut tonight » Bergodi sends him a message from Rome: “Surprise team!”
Article by Eduard Apostol – Published Friday, June 12, 2026, 5:25 p.m. / Updated Friday, June 12, 2026, 5:31 p.m.
Cristiano Bergodi, 61 years oldsent a message of support and confidence to his student from Worldthe Bosnian Jovo Lukic, 27 years old, just before the debut of the Balkan national team at the WC, tonight, from 22:00, against Canada
Bosnia got past Italy (1-1, 4-1 on penalties) in the play-off and will play again in a final World Championship tournament, and tonight at 22:00 they will face Canada in Toronto.
Cristiano Bergodi on Jovo Lukic at the American World Cup: “He can take advantage of the moment and the situation”
Jovo Lukic is one of the two Super League footballers present at the great competition on American soil. The top scorer of the last championship also participated in the two play-off matches for the World Cup, in fact, he was in the team with which the selector Sergej Barbarez prepared the confrontations.
Jovo performed in Bosnia's last friendlies, with North Macedonia (0-0, 45 minutes) and with Panama (1-1, 62 minutes, starter). The player of the vice-champion U Cluj took advantage of the absence of Haris Tabaković, the striker of Borussia Monchengladbach having medical problems.
The “Red Caps” coach, Cristiano Bergodi, is still in Rome, on vacation, and will return to Cluj Napoca in the coming days to resume training. The Italian hopes that Jovo Lukic will play at the World Cup, maybe even tonight.
“He can take advantage of the moment, maybe Tabakovic is still not recovered. I hope with all my heart that Jovo plays. It's not easy, he has big football competitors, even in his own team.
Now, let's see when we will have him in training camp, it's a complicated situation, that's why I think we would need another striker. Back to what you asked me, I would be hypocritical to say that Bosnia can beat Canada or that they have a good chance of getting past the group that also includes Qatar and Switzerland.
However, Bosnia is a team of surprises. As is Lukic! No one thought that (Bosnia) would qualify for the World Cup, but look, it's there, and my Italy on TV. It's a big, weird World Cup with a lot of weak teams, with all due respect, as we saw South Africa in the opening match.
From the bottom of my heart, I hope that Lukic plays and has a very good performance at the World Cup. It's a big moment. Even if there is a risk that if we play well, we won't have him anymore… And so, probably, there are clubs interested in him. At the moment, let's enjoy football, while we have it”, commented Cristiano Bergodi for Gazeta Sporturilor.
20of goals and 3 assists the Bosnian collected last season for U Cluj in 39 matches in all competitions
Jovo Lukic brings money to the University of Cluj and the University of Craiova!
According to GSP.ro information exposed since last monthas a result of the increase in the prizes offered by FIFA from 209 million dollars to 355 million dollars, the clubs where Lukic has been active in the last two years will gain by the presence of Jovo in the national team of Bosnia. It is about U Cluj and the University of Craiova.
$11,000/day to be exact. And according to a rough calculation, $330,000 can be raised! Money that will be divided between the two groups. This is only if Barbarez's team stops in the group stage. The amount increases if Bosnia continues the competition afterwards.
3selections gathered Jovo Lukic to the national team of Bosnia
