Zlatan Ibrahimovic shares his toughest World Cup opinion yet about one England player
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has kept up his reputation for honest—and sometimes harsh—opinions about World Cup stars. During the Norway game, he didn’t hold back when talking about an England player.
Joining Thierry Henry on the American World Cup broadcast, Zlatan has been one of the most entertaining pundits this summer. He’s not afraid to speak his mind, even if it ruffles some feathers. He has already shared strong thoughts about the Belgium vs Iran match and even criticized the former Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman.
This time, Zlatan aimed his criticism at England. He said the team was playing like it had one less player on the field during the first 25 minutes. England’s coach Thomas Tuchel surprised fans by choosing Ezri Konsa at right back and starting Noni Madueke instead of Bukayo Saka up front. Zlatan wasn’t a fan of that choice.
On Fox Sports during a hydration break, Zlatan said, “Jude Bellingham has been the most active player for England, but I think they’re playing with one player less because of Madueke. Every time he gets the ball, he makes the wrong choice and just walks around. Even the break didn’t help him. If I were Tuchel, I’d take him off because he’s done nothing in the first half.”
In the end, Zlatan’s advice was followed. Madueke was swapped out for Bukayo Saka at halftime, along with Declan Rice being replaced by Eberechi Eze. Madueke was one of three players we felt didn’t perform well, though he showed signs of potential. Saka did a bit better, creating chances but still not quite finding the back of the net.
After the game, Tuchel said he wasn’t happy with how the team played but praised their fighting spirit in a lively interview with ITV. Jude Bellingham, England’s standout player, also admitted they weren’t at their best but praised the team’s passion.
“We made things really hard for ourselves today. The win is fantastic—we’re in the last four, which is amazing—but I’m not happy with how we played,” Bellingham said. “We showed commitment, but made many mistakes, played too slowly, and lacked consistency. We were lucky.”
Now, Tuchel has four days to prepare his team and check the players’ fitness. Injuries to midfielders like Declan Rice are a bigger worry than the forwards right now.