🚨 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 }
Thierry Henry on Japan being eliminated from the FIFA World Cup after losing to Brazil:
🗣️ “This is the cruelest side of football. Japan gave everything they had for ninety-five minutes, pushed one of the greatest football nations in history to the edge, and yet they're the team going home. That's a heartbreak that will stay with those players forever.”
“They didn't lose because they lacked courage. They didn't lose because they stopped believing. They lost because against teams like Brazil, one single moment is enough to destroy ninety minutes of extraordinary football.”
“I hope these players don't let this defeat define them. They have earned the respect of the entire football world. They came here as underdogs, but they leave as a team every nation will remember.”
“The tears you're seeing tonight are not tears of failure they're the tears of players who gave absolutely everything for their country. Sometimes football can be incredibly unfair, and this is one of those nights that will hurt for a very long time.”
“Brazil survive, but Japan leave with their heads held high. Sometimes football doesn't reward the team that captures hearts it rewards the team that takes its final chance. That's why this game is so beautiful... and so brutally unforgiving.”