Zlatan Ibrahimovic gives the toughest review of the World Cup so far after the Belgium vs Iran game.
On a Fox Sports segment that quickly went viral, Zlatan Ibrahimovic shared that he actually “fell asleep” during the second half of Sunday’s World Cup match between Belgium and Iran. It was one of the least exciting games of the tournament so far.
Iran played with great energy and earned a well-deserved draw against a 10-man Belgium team, but the 0-0 result at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles didn’t offer much excitement. After the match ended, a very honest Zlatan expressed his thoughts while chatting with Thierry Henry and Alexi Lalas in the Fox Sports studio.
“In the first half, I almost fell asleep,” Ibrahimovic said. “In the second half, I actually did. So there’s not much to talk about. Another draw. I’ll let my colleagues take it from here.”
Rebecca Lowe, Fox’s main World Cup presenter, couldn’t help but laugh at Zlatan’s straightforward comment. “We’re glad you stayed awake,” she joked. “Seriously, we were.”
Roy Keane, working as a pundit for ITV during this tournament, agreed with Zlatan’s take on the match. “The quality of play was really poor,” Keane said. “Belgium had a couple of good chances, but overall the passing, movement, and decisions were just not up to standard.”
A few days earlier on Friday, Ibrahimovic expressed confidence that the United States could pull off one of the biggest surprises in football history and win the 2026 World Cup, especially after their strong start at this year’s tournament. Mauricio Pochettino’s team beat Australia 2-0, securing their spot in the knockout stages.
The co-hosts have impressed so far, beginning with a 4-1 win over Paraguay on June 13, highlighted by goals from Damian Bobadilla (own goal), Folarin Balogun (2), and Giovanni Reyna. Before the tournament, most people didn’t expect much from Pochettino’s squad, but after the win against Australia, Zlatan is feeling hopeful.
“If you didn’t believe before, I’ll say it again: start believing,” Ibrahimovic told Fox Sports. “They have the whole country behind them, and when you have that support, it’s tough to beat you. They played well today, and honestly, Australia wasn’t much of a threat.
“I said before, what happened before the World Cup doesn’t matter now. What matters is what happens from here. They’ve got momentum, and that’s what counts. They just need to keep building confidence with each game.
“Now that they’ve qualified, they can rest some players for the third game. Things are looking good.”
When Rebecca Lowe asked if Pochettino’s team could surprise everyone and win the World Cup this summer, Ibrahimovic gave a firm and clear answer: “Yes.”