Džeko extends contract with Schalke: remains in the Bundesliga until 2027
Edin Džeko will continue his career at FC Schalke 04 after signing a new one-year contract with the Gelsenkirchen club on 3 August 2026. Schalke officially announced that the 40-year-old Bosnian-Herzegovinian striker will remain with the team during the 2026/27 season, in which the club returns to the Bundesliga after three years spent in the second tier of German football. Džeko will continue to wear the number 10 shirt and is expected to join the club's training session on Tuesday, 4 August. The financial details of the new contract were not disclosed in the official announcement. The decision to continue the cooperation confirms that Schalke are counting on his finishing ability, experience and influence in the dressing room during their return season.
For Džeko, this will be his 23rd professional season and another return to Germany's biggest stage, where he built his status as one of the best strikers of his generation almost two decades ago. He first joined Schalke in January 2026 from Fiorentina, with a contract that ran until the end of the season, and his arrival was intended from the outset as a reinforcement for the final stage of the promotion battle. In only a few months, he became an important part of coach Miron Muslić's team and one of the club's most recognisable players. His stay now allows Schalke to enter the new season with a striker who knows the league, the team and the pressure of a big club. At the same time, Džeko gets the opportunity to play once again in a competition in which he has already won the title and finished as top scorer.
One-year contract and a clear message from the club
Schalke's director of professional football, Youri Mulder, said in the club's announcement that Džeko had given the team something special during approximately four and a half months. Mulder emphasised his contribution to the results, his popularity among the supporters and his role as a model both on and off the pitch. According to him, the talks held over the previous weeks showed that the striker still has strong motivation to play at the highest level. That assessment was an important reason why Schalke decided to offer an extension of the cooperation. The club expects Džeko to help in the Bundesliga not only with goals, but also with his experience in match preparation, pressure management and the development of younger players.
After signing, Džeko said that since the winter he had discovered a high-quality team and strong support from the fans in Gelsenkirchen. He described Schalke's return to the Bundesliga as one of the highlights of his long career, even though he had previously won national championships and played in the final stages of Europe's biggest competitions. He stressed that football still fulfils and drives him and that he wants to help the team in the top division as well. His key message was simple: he still has a desire to compete and does not believe that his role is over. Such an attitude suits Schalke's need to begin their return season with players who understand the demands of fighting for results week after week.
Six goals and three assists in the spring part of the season
According to official Bundesliga and Schalke data, Džeko played 11 second-division matches in the spring part of the 2025/26 season, scored six goals and recorded three assists. His contribution was particularly important because, before the winter transfer window, Schalke had periods in which they struggled to create and convert chances. With Džeko, the team gained a central striker capable of holding up the ball, linking up with teammates and punishing opponents' mistakes in the penalty area. In its analysis of Schalke's promotion, the Bundesliga highlighted that he scored six goals in his first eight appearances before being temporarily stopped by a shoulder injury. Although the injury prevented him from playing the entire run-in at full intensity, his early contribution gave the team important momentum in the race for first place.
His debut on 25 January against Kaiserslautern immediately showed the type of influence he could have. Schalke were trailing 2-0 in the closing stages, and after coming off the bench, Džeko scored in the 87th minute to begin the home team's comeback. Kenan Karaman then equalised in the 90th minute to make it 2-2, allowing Schalke to earn a point from an almost lost match in front of more than 62,000 spectators. According to the Bundesliga's official website, Džeko became the oldest goalscorer in the history of the 2. Bundesliga at the age of 39 years and 314 days. That record-breaking goal was also the symbolic beginning of a period in which his presence changed the team's attacking profile.
Džeko continued to score during the crucial weeks, and Schalke lost only one of their final 14 league matches after the winter transfer window, recording nine victories, according to the Bundesliga. The club secured its return to the top division on 2 May with a 1-0 victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf, two rounds before the end of the championship. This brought to an end a three-year spell in the second tier following relegation from the Bundesliga in the 2022/23 season. Schalke subsequently also confirmed the 2. Bundesliga title, giving the promotion additional significance. After that success, Džeko said that moments like those were exactly why he had come to Gelsenkirchen and that it was especially important to him that he had helped return the club to the league where, in his opinion, it belongs.
Schalke rely on experience in a demanding return season
The contract extension has broader significance than retaining a player with a well-known name. Schalke are returning to a competition in which the pace, the quality of the opponents and the cost of mistakes will be noticeably greater than in the second division. Players who can remain calm in matches with few chances and make decisions under pressure are especially important for a newly promoted team. During his career, Džeko has played in Germany, England, Italy, Turkey and the Czech Republic, representing Wolfsburg, Manchester City, Roma, Inter, Fenerbahçe, Fiorentina and other clubs. Such a breadth of experience allows him to help the team even when he is not in the starting line-up or when his contribution is not directly visible through goals and assists.
Given his age, it is not realistic to expect him to play every minute or carry the entire attacking burden on his own. His role will probably be adapted to the opponent, the pace of the match and the physical workload, with the option of starting games or coming off the bench when the team needs a different type of striker. Schalke also have other attacking options in the squad, so Džeko's stay gives coach Muslić an additional tactical possibility rather than an obligation to build every attack around one player. He could be particularly important against teams that defend deeply, when experience in movement and aerial ability often decide matches. His ability to receive the ball with his back to goal can also help Schalke relieve pressure and move play into the opposition half more easily.
At the same time, the club gains a strong figure in the dressing room who already has the trust of the supporters and his teammates. In the official statement, Mulder described him as a key player, a crowd favourite and an example of professional conduct. For a team that will probably go through fluctuations in results, such a presence can be important in periods after defeats or during a run of difficult matches. Džeko is also well acquainted with the expectations surrounding Schalke, one of Germany's most closely followed clubs, whose home atmosphere can simultaneously be a major advantage and a source of pressure. His rapid connection with the crowd during the spring showed that he can handle that environment.
Return to the league in which he left a deep mark
Džeko returns to the Bundesliga as a player whose first German spell remains part of Wolfsburg's history. He joined the Lower Saxony club in 2007 from Czech side Teplice and scored 66 goals in 111 Bundesliga appearances, according to data from the competition's official website. With Wolfsburg, he won the first German league title in the club's history in the 2008/09 season, forming an attacking partnership with Grafite. Džeko scored 26 league goals that season, while Grafite scored 28, making their combined contribution crucial for Felix Magath's team. One year later, Džeko became the Bundesliga's top scorer with 22 goals.
His performances in Germany were the starting point for a transfer to Manchester City, with whom he won two English league titles. He later played an important role for Roma for years before representing Inter, Fenerbahçe and Fiorentina prior to joining Schalke. As captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team, Džeko participated in his second World Cup in the summer of 2026, following the 2014 tournament in Brazil. Bosnia and Herzegovina advanced from the group stage at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States, but their campaign ended with a 2-0 defeat to hosts the United States in the round of 32. After the tournament, Džeko kept the question of continuing his career open for some time before accepting another season with Schalke.
It is precisely the combination of his old Bundesliga reputation and his recent contribution to promotion that gives his new contract both sporting and symbolic value. Schalke are not retaining a striker solely on the basis of past achievements, but a player who had directly contributed to nine of the team's league goals only a few months earlier. Džeko, on the other hand, is not entering the season merely as a veteran bringing his career to a close, but as a footballer who showed during the spring that he can still decide matches. His actual contribution will depend on his health, the management of his playing time and how quickly he integrates into preparations after returning later because of international duties. However, the official confirmation of the contract has removed one of the biggest uncertainties in Schalke's summer squad-building process.
First test in Augsburg, followed by Bayern in Gelsenkirchen
According to the official schedule, Schalke will open the 2026/27 Bundesliga season on 30 August away to FC Augsburg, with the match at the WWK Arena beginning at 5.30 p.m. The first home league match is scheduled for 5 September against Bayern Munich, which will immediately demonstrate the level of challenge awaiting the returning club. Before then, the team must complete its preparations, play the remaining friendly matches and contest the first round of the German Cup. Džeko's planned return to training on 4 August leaves him several weeks to rebuild his fitness and settle into the team's tactical rhythm. The coaching staff will need to manage his workload carefully after a long club season and his summer appearance at the World Cup.
Schalke's primary objective is to establish themselves in the Bundesliga and avoid a quick return to the second tier, and Džeko's stay increases the quality and experience of the team's attacking department. However, the new contract is no guarantee of success: the club will need contributions from the entire squad, a solid defence and greater efficiency against opponents who will punish missed opportunities. Džeko can be an important part of that plan, but his greatest value will probably come through a combination of goals, assists, holding up the ball and leading the team in crucial moments. After helping Schalke regain their top-flight status, he now faces a different task - helping the club retain it. The contract until 2027 confirms that both the player and the club believe this story is not yet over.
Sources:
- FC Schalke 04 - official confirmation of the new one-year contract, statements from Edin Džeko and Youri Mulder, and the date of his return to training (link)
- Bundesliga - confirmation of Džeko's stay, statistics from the spring part of the season and the continuation of his wearing the number 10 shirt (link)
- Bundesliga - overview of Schalke's return to the top division, the season's results and Džeko's contribution to promotion (link)
- Bundesliga - information about Džeko's debut for Schalke and the record as the oldest goalscorer in the 2. Bundesliga (link)
- Bundesliga - information about Džeko's career at Wolfsburg, his number of appearances and goals, the championship title and his status as the top scorer in the 2009/10 season (link)
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina - official player profile, international status and overview of appearances at the 2026 World Cup (link)
- Football Association of Bosnia and Herzegovina - official review of the match against the United States and elimination from the 2026 World Cup (link)
- FC Schalke 04 - official dates for the first four Bundesliga rounds, including the matches against Augsburg and Bayern (link)