2026 World Cup: Zlatan Ibrahimovic slams Cristiano Ronaldo

23.06.26 FT World Cup

Portugal

5

:

Uzbekistan

0

After a disappointing outing against DR Congo (1-1), Cristiano Ronaldo silenced his critics on Tuesday night with a stunning brace against Uzbekistan in Portugal's commanding 5-0 victory. But Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasn't impressed by the Portuguese star's reaction.

During Portugal's emphatic win over Uzbekistan in Group K of this 2026 World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo netted a double (5-0). At the final whistle, the Seleção captain made a statement, looking straight into the camera: “I’m back”, or in French, "je suis de retour".

But not everyone was convinced. Appearing on Fox as a pundit during the international tournament, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was quick to play down the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's performance. “It was a match set up for Portugal to score plenty of goals. As for his message (when he said 'I’m back'), I thought he never left, so I don't know why he's saying that,” Ibrahimovic commented on the TV channel.

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.

Related teams and leagues

Portugal

Uzbekistan

World Cup