Ibišević was born in Vlasenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, then a republic within SFR Yugoslavia. He and his family left Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2000 to move to Switzerland, where Ibišević was signed by FC Baden in Canton Aargau. His family, however, left Switzerland after only ten months, moving to St. Louis, Missouri, in the United States. In St. Louis, Ibišević flourished as one of the region's most promising football players, and after his senior season in 2002, was named by "Soccer America" as one of the nation's top 25 recruits. He played his high school football at Roosevelt High School in St. Louis.