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Zlatan Ibrahimović Slams England Performance at FIFA World Cup

2026-07-17 · Zlatan Ibrahimović · Club News

Zlatan Ibrahimović Slams England Performance at FIFA World Cup

Zlatan Ibrahimović has called out England's performance in the FIFA World Cup semifinal loss to Argentina, questioning their ability to beat a 'proper team'.

What happened?

Zlatan Ibrahimović spoke to MyPartner after England's 2-1 loss to Argentina in the FIFA World Cup semifinals, stating that they never beat a proper team. He added that the win over Norway was not against a proper side and that England can never talk about being a big side in international tournaments unless they beat a proper side.

Why it matters for Zlatan Ibrahimović

The Swedish striker believes that England's performance was a reality check for them, and that they need to step up their game to compete with the best teams in the world. He also questioned the strength of the Premier League, stating that it's not the best league in the world because of the England players.

What comes next?

England will face France in the FIFA World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday, July 18. They will look to bounce back from their semifinal loss and finish the tournament on a high note.

Zlatan Ibrahimović's comments have sparked a debate about England's performance in the FIFA World Cup. While some have defended their team, others have agreed with the Swedish striker's assessment. The debate will continue to rage on as England looks to rebuild and come back stronger in the future.

The Swede added that England can never talk about being a big side in international tournaments unless they beat a proper side and said: "But let's be honest, they didn't beat a proper team. And when you beat a proper team, then you start talking. But I know the English press, they like the gossip, they like the propaganda to build them up, to make them big. Yesterday was a reality check. There is levels to these games. Levels. That's the difference. Look here in mirror and ask yourself how good are you?"

England have not won an international tournament since 1966, when they became the world champions. They have reached the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup twice in the last three editions, while making it to the finals of the last two UEFA EUROs.

Zlatan Ibrahimović claimed that the Premier League is not the best in the world because of the England players. He added that the top players from other countries are the main reason they do well over other leagues and said: "People, according to themselves, they think they are good, better than everybody else. But the reality is the Premier League is not only based on English players. You have a mix of the foreign players that represent Premier League and that's why Premier League is good."

England face France in the FIFA World Cup third-place playoff on Saturday, July 18. They lost the semifinal 2-1 to Argentina, despite being 1-0 up in the second half.

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