🚨 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 }
José Mourinho on Japan's substitutes constantly supporting their teammates:
🗣️ “Look at the players on the bench. Nobody is sitting with their heads down. Every single one of them is standing, shouting, encouraging and living every second of the game. That's not luck that's a winning mentality.”
“People always talk about tactics and talent, but they forget that trophies are built on unity. Japan are showing the world that the players not on the pitch can be just as important as the ones playing.”
“You don't build a team like this overnight. You build it through discipline, sacrifice and a culture where every player fights for the badge instead of fighting for themselves.”
“If every national team had this mentality, football would be a completely different game. This is what a real team looks like.”