All-star: the inside story of Benjamin Šeško

From grassroots and hoops to pressing and patience, Slovenia's star striker has taken the long road.

When he was 10 years old, Benjamin Šeško made a decision that would define the rest of his life. He had, to that point, pursued two sports – basketball and football. Before his childhood was over, he had to choose. 

In an alternative universe, perhaps we’ll see him line up in Greece next month alongside Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Dončić, as Slovenia compete for Olympic basketball qualification. In our reality, of course, Šeško is Slovenia’s talisman at EURO 2024, and already regarded as one of the best young forwards in the world. 

Introduced at Red Bull Salzburg and honed at their sister club in Leipzig, Šeško’s immediate future remains in Germany - he signed a contract extension earlier this month to fend off circling sharks. But with blood now in the water, it’s only a matter of time before he moves to one of the continent’s heaviest hitters. 

That day is not here yet. With his future known (for now), SCOUTED’s Bence Bocsák journeyed instead into Šeško’s past, in search of the moments that made the man. This is the story of Benjamin Šeško — as told by the scouts and coaches who discovered, honed and unleashed him.