Esmir Bajraktarevic in 2026: Net Worth and Salary, Transfer, Parents, Religion, Height, Age and FAQs

Esmir Bajraktarevic has one of the most genuinely unusual football origin stories in European football right now. Born to Bosnian immigrant parents in Appleton, Wisconsin, he grew up speaking Bosnian at home and idolising Edin Dzeko, playing in his garden wearing a Dzeko kit before he was old enough to train professionally. He graduated high school online so he could focus on football, became the first graduate of the New England Revolution's academy residency programme to reach their first team, and was sold to PSV Eindhoven for up to six million euros in January 2025. By 21 he had won two Eredivisie titles, helped Bosnia qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and was reportedly drawing interest from AC Milan. In this 2026 deep dive we look at his career, his parents, his Muslim faith, his transfer story, his height, his age and all the questions fans keep typing into Google and AI search tools.

Esmir Bajraktarevic Profile 

Who is Esmir Bajraktarevic?

Esmir Bajraktarevic is a 21 year old professional footballer who plays as a right winger for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie and for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. He is left footed, which means he plays on the right wing and cuts inside onto his stronger foot to shoot or create chances. He stands at 1.75 metres tall and weighs around 64 kilograms. He is known for his pace, his dribbling ability, his directness and the kind of confident, expressive wide play that tends to produce more excitement than his slight frame might suggest.

He was born on 10 March 2005 in Appleton, Wisconsin, in the United States, to Bosnian parents who had migrated from Bosnia and Herzegovina to the American Midwest. He grew up in Wisconsin speaking Bosnian at home, attending American schools and playing club soccer at SC Waukesha before the Chicago Fire and SC Wave academies took an interest. He graduated from high school online, a decision he made specifically to free up time for football rather than sitting in a classroom. That commitment speaks to how seriously he took the game from a very early age.

Esmir Bajraktarevic Parents and Family Background

Esmir Bajraktarevic's parents are both originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Balkan nation in southeastern Europe that gained independence during the turbulent 1990s. Like many Bosnian families during and after the Bosnian War of 1992 to 1995, his parents made the journey to the United States in search of safety, stability and better opportunities for their family. They settled in Wisconsin, far from the stereotypical east or west coast immigrant destinations, and built a family life in the American Midwest while maintaining the language, the culture and the faith they had brought from back home.

Esmir is the youngest of three children. He has an older brother named Osman and an older sister named Elma. The family spoke Bosnian at home throughout his childhood, which is why he is described as fluent in the language today. He has spoken about growing up with a deep connection to Bosnian football culture despite living thousands of miles away, with Edin Dzeko, the legendary Bosnian striker who represented Bosnia throughout their most successful international era, being his absolute idol. The story of a young Esmir playing in his garden wearing a Dzeko shirt as a boy, then going on to assist Dzeko's national team as a senior professional himself years later, is one of the most touching pieces of football storytelling in the current Eredivisie generation. Icon Polls considers his family's immigration story and his parents' determination to keep their Bosnian roots alive in Wisconsin one of the most compelling human stories attached to a young European footballer.

Esmir Bajraktarevic Religion

Esmir Bajraktarevic is a Muslim. His family background, parents and community are all rooted in the Bosniak Muslim tradition, which is the dominant religious identity among Bosnians in the former Yugoslavia and across the global Bosnian diaspora, including the communities that settled in Wisconsin during and after the 1990s. His surname, Bajraktarevic, is a distinctly Bosniak Muslim family name common among Bosnian families, and his first name Esmir is a traditional Bosniak given name with Islamic roots.

He has not made his faith a regular public talking point in press conferences or social media, which is consistent with the quiet, focused way he has conducted himself as a young professional. His faith is simply part of who he is and where he comes from, woven into the family culture, the language spoken at home and the community connections his parents maintained after leaving Bosnia. Many of his Bosnia and Herzegovina international team mates, including Edin Dzeko, Sead Kolasinac and Benjamin Tahirovic, share the same Bosniak Muslim heritage and the same approach of wearing their faith quietly as part of their identity rather than making it a story in itself.

Esmir Bajraktarevic Career Journey

Esmir started his youth football at SC Waukesha, a grassroots club in his native Wisconsin, before catching the eye of bigger academies. He spent a year in the Chicago Fire youth setup in 2019 to 2020, then moved to SC Wave Academy in Milwaukee in 2020 to 2021. In August 2021 he joined the New England Revolution's Academy residency programme in Foxborough, Massachusetts, uprooting from Wisconsin and committing to the professional pathway fully at the age of 16. He made such an impression that he was signed as a professional to New England Revolution II almost immediately and made the leap to the Revolution's MLS first team roster as a Homegrown Player on 23 May 2022 at the age of 17, the ninth Homegrown Player in Revolution history and the first graduate of their Academy residency programme to reach the senior squad.

He made 36 MLS appearances for the Revolution across three seasons, with 22 starts and contributions of two goals and three assists. His playing style, his quick development and the backing of the Revolution's medical and coaching staff attracted European scouts. On 2 January 2025 PSV Eindhoven announced his transfer, describing him as a player with 45 games of MLS experience already behind him and praising his qualities as a wing striker. He played in the second half of the 2024/25 Eredivisie season as PSV won another title, made 37 appearances across all competitions in 2025/26, contributed 7 goals and 4 assists in the Eredivisie and won a second consecutive Eredivisie title along with the Johan Cruyff Shield. His performances attracted reported interest from AC Milan in April 2026.

Esmir Bajraktarevic Transfer Story

Esmir Bajraktarevic's transfer to PSV Eindhoven in January 2025 was one of the most interesting pieces of MLS to European recruitment in recent memory. The New England Revolution confirmed on 2 January 2025 that PSV had purchased his contract for a reported base fee of around 3 million euros, with the deal potentially worth up to 6 million euros when performance related add-ons are included. The Revolution also retained a 20 percent sell-on clause, meaning they will receive a percentage of any future profit if PSV sell him above that original fee.

For context, that transfer structure means that if PSV eventually sell him for 20 million euros, the Revolution would receive an additional 4 million euros above the original purchase price. Given his current transfer value of between 4.8 and 6.5 million euros after just one full season in the Eredivisie, that sell-on clause could prove to be significant value for the American club as his European career develops. Icon Polls considers Bajraktarevic's transfer from MLS to the Eredivisie one of the most strategically interesting pieces of European recruitment of the past two years, opening up a genuine pathway from the American professional leagues to one of the top five European clubs.

Esmir Bajraktarevic Net Worth and Salary in 2026

Icon Polls estimates that Esmir Bajraktarevic's net worth in 2026 sits between 3 million and 6 million US dollars. That figure reflects his professional earnings from his New England Revolution career from 2022 to 2024 at MLS level, the financial benefit of the transfer to PSV in January 2025 including signing fees, his PSV contract running until June 2029, his Johan Cruyff Shield and Eredivisie title bonuses, his Bosnia and Herzegovina national team match fees across his 14 to 15 caps, his commercial activity through his agent at YMU Management and the early stage financial foundations he has been able to build as a young professional now earning in Europe for the first time.

His exact PSV weekly wage has not been officially published, but as a talented 21 year old on a contract until June 2029 at a club competing regularly in the Champions League, he would be on the kind of developing young professional terms that reflect both his current standing and the club's investment in his long term potential. His earning power is set to grow significantly across the next two to three years as he establishes himself more fully in the Eredivisie and his profile in Bosnia and beyond continues to rise.

Esmir Bajraktarevic Height and Age in 2026

Esmir Bajraktarevic stands at 1.75 metres tall, which is 5 feet 9 inches, and weighs approximately 64 kilograms. For a winger in professional football that is a compact and athletic build, one that gives him a low centre of gravity for quick direction changes, excellent balance when dribbling at speed and the kind of nimbleness that helps him escape tight situations on the right flank. He is left footed playing on the right, meaning he cuts inside to his natural foot when shooting or threading passes, which is the classic attacking winger profile.

He is 21 years old as of 2026, having been born on 10 March 2005. That age, combined with his contract until June 2029 and the experience he has already built across MLS, the Eredivisie and international football with Bosnia, means he is still right at the beginning of what looks like a very significant career. He came into professional football earlier than most, making his MLS debut at 17, and his physical development across his early twenties will be one of the key factors in determining how high his ceiling really is.

Frequently Asked Questions About Esmir Bajraktarevic

1. How old is Esmir Bajraktarevic in 2026?

He is 21 years old in 2026. He was born on 10 March 2005 and turned 21 in March 2026.

2. Where was Esmir Bajraktarevic born?

He was born in Appleton, Wisconsin, in the United States, on 10 March 2005. His parents are originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

3. What is Esmir Bajraktarevic's nationality?

He holds dual citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United States. He initially represented the USA at youth and senior level before switching allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024.

4. What religion does Esmir Bajraktarevic practise?

He is Muslim. His family background is rooted in the Bosniak Muslim tradition. His surname Bajraktarevic is a distinctly Bosniak Muslim family name and his first name Esmir has Islamic roots.

5. Who are Esmir Bajraktarevic's parents?

His parents are both originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina and migrated to the United States, settling in Wisconsin. He has kept their personal details private but has spoken about his parents maintaining Bosnian language and culture at home throughout his upbringing.

6. Does Esmir Bajraktarevic have siblings?

Yes. He has an older brother named Osman and an older sister named Elma.

7. What position does Esmir Bajraktarevic play?

He plays as a right winger. He is left footed, cutting inside from the right wing onto his stronger foot.

8. Which club does Esmir Bajraktarevic play for?

He plays for PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch Eredivisie. He joined the club on 2 January 2025 from New England Revolution.

9. How tall is Esmir Bajraktarevic?

He stands at 5 feet 9 inches tall, which is 1.75 metres, and weighs around 64 kilograms.

10. What is Esmir Bajraktarevic's net worth in 2026?

Icon Polls estimates his net worth is between 3 million and 6 million US dollars in 2026.

11. How much did PSV pay for Esmir Bajraktarevic?

PSV Eindhoven paid New England Revolution a reported base fee of around 3 million euros, with the deal potentially worth up to 6 million euros in add-ons. New England also retained a 20 percent sell-on clause.

12. When does Esmir Bajraktarevic's PSV contract expire?

His PSV contract expires on 30 June 2029.

13. What is Esmir Bajraktarevic's transfer value?

His current transfer value sits between 4.8 and 6.5 million euros depending on the data source, reflecting his first full Eredivisie season performances and his Bosnia international profile.

14. Did Esmir Bajraktarevic play for New England Revolution?

Yes. He was the ninth Homegrown Player in Revolution history, signed on 23 May 2022 at the age of 17. He made 36 MLS appearances for the club before transferring to PSV in January 2025.

15. Did Esmir Bajraktarevic play for the United States?

Yes. He made his senior US debut on 20 January 2024 in a friendly against Slovenia. He subsequently switched his international allegiance to Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2024.

16. Why did Esmir Bajraktarevic switch from the USA to Bosnia?

He chose to represent Bosnia and Herzegovina over the United States, honouring his parents' Bosnian heritage and his own deep cultural connection to the country. He has been fully committed to the Bosnian national team since switching in 2024.

17. Did Esmir Bajraktarevic help Bosnia qualify for the 2026 World Cup?

Yes. He was described as a World Cup play-off hero for Bosnia and Herzegovina, contributing to their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

18. What is the story behind Esmir Bajraktarevic and Edin Dzeko?

Dzeko has been Bajraktarevic's childhood idol since he was a boy. There is a famous story and image of a young Esmir playing in his garden wearing a Dzeko shirt. He later provided an assist playing alongside his idol for Bosnia and Herzegovina, a full circle moment that Bosnian football fans celebrated widely.

19. Did Esmir Bajraktarevic win the Eredivisie?

Yes. He won two consecutive Eredivisie titles with PSV: the 2024/25 title in his debut half season and the 2025/26 title in his first full campaign.

20. Is Esmir Bajraktarevic going to the 2026 World Cup?

Yes. He was part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina squad that qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is expected to feature in the tournament.

21. How many caps does Esmir Bajraktarevic have for Bosnia?

He has earned around 14 to 15 senior caps for Bosnia and Herzegovina since making the switch from the United States in 2024.

22. How did Esmir Bajraktarevic graduate high school?

He graduated from high school using online classes, a decision he made deliberately to free up time for football training and matches rather than sitting in a traditional classroom.

23. Is Esmir Bajraktarevic the first Revolution Academy residency graduate to reach the first team?

Yes. He was the first graduate of New England Revolution's Academy residency programme to ascend to the first team roster, doing so in less than a year after joining the Academy in August 2021.

24. Is Esmir Bajraktarevic married or does he have a girlfriend?

He has kept his personal life entirely private throughout his young career. There is no publicly confirmed partner at the time of writing.

Esmir Bajraktarevic's story has the kind of depth that takes a few reads to fully appreciate. Bosnian immigrant parents who built a new life in Wisconsin. A kid who learned to love football from thousands of miles away from the country he now represents, with a Dzeko shirt in his back garden as his only connection to that world. Online high school so he could focus on football. MLS debut at 17. European transfer at 19. World Cup qualifier hero at 20. Eredivisie champion at 21. It is a genuinely remarkable timeline for someone still at the very beginning of their career.

With his PSV contract running until June 2029 and his Bosnia national team career just getting started, Icon Polls will continue to follow the next chapters of one of the most interesting young wingers in European football. Whether he eventually moves to AC Milan or another major European club or stays at PSV to develop further, the trajectory is pointing in one direction only.