🚨 Zlatan Ibrahimović on Japan crashing out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after their heartbreaking defeat to Brazil:
“Football can be very cruel. Today Japan leave the World Cup, but they leave with their heads held high. They pushed Brazil to the edge, made them suffer and forced one of the greatest football nations in history to fight until the very end. That’s something no one can take away from them.”
“I don’t want to hear anyone calling this a failure. Failure is not giving everything. These players gave everything. They ran, they fought, they believed and they represented their country with incredible pride. Sometimes football rewards you, sometimes it breaks your heart. Today it broke Japan’s heart.”
“I saw the tears after the final whistle, and those tears tell you everything. They cared. They believed they could make history, and for a long time they looked capable of doing exactly that. The result hurts, but the performance deserves respect from the entire football world.”
“If Japan continue producing players with this mentality, this won’t be the last time they surprise the biggest nations. They have shown courage, discipline and personality throughout this tournament. Today they lost the match, but they won the respect of millions of football fans around the world.”
{@FoxNews }
Zlatan Ibrahimović on Japan's dominant 4-0 victory over Tunisia at the World Cup:
🗣️ “People need to stop calling Japan a surprise package. At some point, when you keep producing performances like this, you're no longer a surprise you're a serious contender.”
“A 4-0 win at the World Cup is not normal. You don't destroy teams by accident. You do it because you have quality, organization, confidence, and players who know exactly what they're doing.”
“What impresses me most is the way they play. There is no fear, no hesitation, no respect for reputations. They attack with intensity, defend as a unit, and make life miserable for every opponent.”
“Before the tournament started, everyone was talking about the traditional favourites. But match after match, Japan are quietly forcing their way into that conversation.”
“If I'm one of the big nations watching this performance, I'm worried. Very worried. Because Japan look like a team that is improving with every game they play.”
“The scary thing is that they don't look satisfied. Even at 3-0, even at 4-0, they keep pressing, keep running, and keep searching for more. That's the mentality of a team that believes it can achieve something special.”
“You can have all the star players in the world, but if you come up against a team playing with this level of discipline and confidence, you're going to suffer.”
“Right now, Japan are slowly becoming one of the favourites to win this World Cup. Some people won't like hearing that, but football doesn't care about reputations it cares about performances.”
“And trust me, any team that gets drawn against Japan in the next round won't be celebrating. They'll be wondering how they're supposed to stop them.”
Oasis legend Noel Gallagher says he's shunning the "razzmatazz" of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final halftime show curated by Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
Echoing the Super Bowl, the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday 19th July 2026 will feature performances from Madonna, BTS and Shakira.
Noel says football has been "functioning perfectly for hundreds of years" without a halftime extravaganza and the performers are "not really football people."