Zlatan attacks England's World Cup failure and takes a dig at Norway
Swedish superstar Zlatan Ibrahimović has not held back in criticizing England's loss in the World Cup semifinal against Argentina. «The English players must look in the mirror and ask: 'How good are you really?'», he said during a panel discussion in New York. Norway's national team, which lost 1-2 to England in the quarterfinals (2026-07-11), is also involved in the criticism.
What did Zlatan say about England and Norway?
Ibrahimović believes England's self-perception is unrealistic. «They think they're better than everyone else, but the Premier League doesn't consist only of English players», he says. He also points out that England rarely beats the «real» teams, using Norway as an example: «Winning against Norway – with all due respect – is not beating a real team.»
How does this affect Norway's national team?
Norway, with a recent form of 1W-1D-3L in their last five matches, will face Portugal at home on 27 September 2026. Zlatan's comments may serve as a reminder that the national team needs to improve to compete against the best.
What's next for Norway?
Despite losses to England, Brazil, and Senegal, Norway's national team shows potential. With Erling Braut Haaland leading the attack, they must now focus on improving ahead of their next World Cup qualifier against Portugal.
