During the World Cup qualifying final between Bosnia and Italy, 14-year-old ball boy Afan Cizmic stole the goalkeeper’s notes.
Published April 9, 2026
A week after Bosnia and Herzegovina qualified for the FIFA World Cup with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Italy, a 14-year-old ballboy has made headlines in the Balkans.
Afan Šizmic was one of the dozens of ballboys stationed at Zenica’s Vilino Polje Stadium for the UEFA play-off final on March 31st. At the time, Bosnia was hosting the four-time champions in a bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
But he is now being hailed as an unlikely hero for hiding Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s penalty record just before the spot-kick was taken.
Sismic, who was on the sideline before the shootout, noticed Donnarumma reading a piece of paper tucked behind a towel. Realizing that it contained information about the Bosnian penalty taker, he snatched the note and fled from Goal.
Once the shootout began, Donnarumma was unable to save any of the four penalties he faced, and his teammates missed three penalties, giving Bosnia a spot in the high-profile tournament worldwide.
It remains to be seen whether Sizmic’s little trick had an impact on the final scoreline, but the teenager is being hailed as a hero in Bosnia, with fans urging the national team to take him to the World Cup.
Cismik has been called on soccer shows, interviewed by international media and photographed at the venue where Bosnia made history by becoming the only former champions to beat Italy out of the World Cup three years in a row.
Recalling the moment he saw the newspaper, Shismic says he was hesitant at first, but ultimately decided to act on his instincts.
“I saw where he left the newspaper and he was reading from there. I thought whether I should take it or not. And I said, ‘Whatever happens, happens,’ and I took it,” he told Turkish news agency Anadolu on Wednesday.
Donnarumma did not see Sizmic leave, but the Italian goalkeeper was furious that he could not find the paper and tried to take away the penalty note with his opponent’s jersey number in retaliation.
Sismik believes that Donnarumma’s frustration confirmed that his ploy affected the match.
“I was happy because I was watching him get angry and lose focus,” he said.
In the hours and days following Bosnia’s victory, Sismik’s actions sparked debate not only on national news but also on social media.
Despite mixed reactions on social media, he dismissed the criticism, saying any fan would do the same.
“If we were playing in Italy, someone would have done the same thing to our goalkeeper Nicola Vasili,” he said.
Now a famous ball boy, he proudly carries the note, wrapped in a plastic cover, as a memento and even carries it with him during media appearances. The newspaper also announced that it would be auctioned off, with all proceeds going to charity.
Sizmic, a youth soccer player with local club Serik Zenica, dreams of one day wearing the Bosnian national team jersey.
His father, Emir Szysmic, said he was proud of his son, stressing that ball boys are more than just spectators and can influence the rhythm and outcome of a match.
