Ibrahimovic accuses Norway of “self-destruction”: “They were afraid of France”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not mince his words after the meeting between Norway and France at the 2026 World Cup. Interviewed by Fox Sports, the former Swedish striker strongly criticized the decision of Norwegian coach Ståle Solbakken to leave his stars on the bench during this decisive duel played in Boston.

Noorwegen and France came into the match both undefeated after two group stage successes, and the match looked set to be a clash at the top for first place. But when the lineups fell, Solbakken chose to spare several starters, including Martin Ødegaard and Erling Haaland, a decision that left Ibrahimovic stunned.

“Norway had the chance to win the group and give themselves a more favorable path in the knockout stage, but they were already afraid of France,” said Ibrahimovic. “It’s a form of self-destruction. This is not the state of mind you should have when you represent your country in the World Cup. »

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Norway ultimately finished second in the group and will face Ivory Coast in the round of 16. In the event of qualification, his opponent would be the winner of the duel between Brazil and Japan.

Despite his criticism of the Scandinavians, Ibrahimovic praised the collective performance of the French. He notably highlighted Ousmane Dembélé, author of a dazzling hat-trick during the tournament. “The players impress, the goalkeeper also stands out. They have a complete team and, for me, they are the big favorites for the world title. They play well and please the public. It's even a little scary. »

The former striker also mentioned the tournament picture for the Blues: France, as winner of its group, should logically face Sweden in the next round. For Ibrahimovic, Germany appears to be the most likely opponent in the round of 16, and a quarter-final clash against the Netherlands cannot be ruled out.