Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes a surprise team could shock everyone and win this summer’s World Cup.
The United States are being called the ‘unofficial world champions’ after their World Cup win against Australia.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic thinks the United States might pull off one of the biggest surprises in football history and win the 2026 World Cup after their great start this summer.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team won 2-0 against Australia on Friday, securing their spot in the knockout rounds.
This was another strong game for the co-hosts, who had an amazing first match on June 13, beating Paraguay 4-1 with goals from Damian Bobadilla (own goal), Folarin Balogun (2), and Giovanni Reyna.
So, how far can the U.S. go? Before the tournament, not many people thought Pochettino’s squad would make a big impact.
But after beating Australia, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is feeling hopeful. The U.S. team won back-to-back World Cup games for the first time since 1930, and Zlatan believes they could go all the way.
“If you didn’t believe before, start believing now,” Zlatan said on Fox Sports.
“They have the whole country behind them, and with that support, it’s hard to beat them. They played well today. Honestly, Australia wasn’t a real threat.
“Whatever happened before the World Cup doesn’t matter now. What counts is what’s happening now. They have momentum, and that’s what they need to keep. They just have to keep building confidence game by game.
“They can rest some players in the third game since they’ve already qualified. Things are looking good.”
When asked if Pochettino’s team can surprise everyone and win the World Cup, Zlatan didn’t hesitate. “Yes,” he said simply.
The U.S. is also the unofficial world champion right now thanks to their win over Australia. Here’s why.
Australia earned this unofficial title when they beat Turkey, who had held it since March 2026 after defeating Kosovo.
This is the third time the U.S. has held this title, and they’ll defend it against Turkey in their final group game.
What does that mean? The Unofficial Football World Championships is a fun way to track the world’s best international team. It started back in 1967 when Scotland beat England for the first time since England won the World Cup.
To hold this title, a team must beat the current unofficial champions, like a knockout tournament used in some combat sports.
England was the first official holder of this title after their 4-2 win in March 1873, looking back at early matches between England and Scotland.