Džeko's return to the top table makes him the eighth-oldest player ever to appear in Germany's top flight, aged 40 years and 166 days. Only three outfield players - Klaus Fichtel, Claudio Pizarro, and Mirko Votava - sit above the Bosnia and Herzegovina striker in the rankings. The gap between Džeko's final Bundesliga outing for Wolfsburg in 2010/11, and his first for Schalke in 2026/27, is a remarkable 15 years and 255 days. This figure is surpassed only by former Waldhof Mannheim and Karlsruhe player Wolfgang Böhni, who appeared for Mannheim 16 years and 245 days after his final run-out for the KSC. Džeko was unable to mark his Bundesliga return with a goal at the WWK Arena, but a goal in the next two months would make him the second-oldest player - after Pizarro - to find the net in Bundesliga history.