Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the former Swedish forward, has praised the French national team following their emphatic 3-0 victory over Sweden. The 44-year-old was left impressed by France’s performance, which also saw them defeat Senegal 3-1, Iraq 3-0, and Norway 4-1 earlier in the tournament.
After the match, Ibrahimovic offered a strong critique of his national team, stating that Sweden displayed discipline for only the first 15-20 minutes before losing structure, particularly in defense. He acknowledged the efforts of coach Graham Potter, who has shifted to a four-defender system with two forwards, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres.
“Graham Potter has done a good job, especially in qualifying the team for the World Cup. Looking at the preliminary rounds, they gathered few points but managed to secure a chance through the playoffs. Their first match here was remarkable, winning 5-1 against Tunisia, but they faced a reality check with a 1-5 loss to the Netherlands, followed by a solid draw against Japan,” Ibrahimovic explained.
He commented on the challenge of playing against France, saying, “Even if you execute a perfect game plan, it depends on them. If France shifts into high gear, it doesn’t matter how well you play; they are frightening. I believe in matches against top teams, it will still depend on France. At the level they played, they could beat any team in this tournament.”
Ibrahimovic expressed pride in Sweden, a small nation that has faced challenges in qualifying for the World Cup in the past. “We have a population of 10 million, and football is our number one sport. We have produced some of the best players. It’s important to be proud of our contributions to the sport,” he added, referring to his own status as a prominent figure in Swedish football.
Three French Players Among the World’s Best
During the discussion, Ibrahimovic was asked if any French players could be considered among the top five in the world. He confidently named three: “Out of the top five players in the world, three are in that attack: Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, and Kylian Mbappé. Then we can choose others; I’ll leave that up to you, perhaps Lamine Yamal and Erling Haaland, while Lionel Messi is in a different league altogether.”
