Zlatan Ibrahimović praises the French attacking trio at the World Cup: “Three of the five best players are there”
By OnzeActu · · 2 min read
Following France's 3-0 victory against Sweden in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, Zlatan Ibrahimović praised the French offensive power embodied by Dembélé, Olise and Mbappé, whom he considers three of the best players in the world.
France made an impression during its clean and flawless success against Sweden (3-0) in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. In a post-match analysis on FOX Sports, Zlatan Ibrahimović highlighted what makes the Blues remarkable strength: their attacking trio composed of Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Kylian Mbappé. “Take the five best players in the world, three of them are in the French attack: Dembélé, Olise and Mbappé,” declared the Swedish striker before adding the presence of Lamine Yamal (Spain) and Erling Haaland (Norway) among this world top. “Messi is in a category of his own. But this trio is not an easy combination to achieve. »
Kylian Mbappé once again confirmed his legendary status by becoming the top scorer in the history of the knockout phase with 10 goals, including a double against Sweden. With 18 career goals in the World Cup, he is only one point behind Lionel Messi, the record holder with 19 goals.
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Michael Olise, author of 41 goals in 46 matches with Bayern Munich, has transferred his effectiveness perfectly to the international level. He has already scored five assists in four matches at this World Cup, a tournament record. As for Ousmane Dembélé, crowned Ballon d'Or 2025 and winner of the Champions League with PSG, he continues to shine with the Blues. He has four goals in the competition, including a hat-trick against Norway on the last day of June, confirming his status as a formidable striker.
Ibrahimović also compared this trio to that of PSG, which brought together Mbappé, Messi and Neymar. "We had an example in Paris, with Mbappé, Messi and Neymar. It didn't work 100%, because they had different egos... But this French trio also stands out for their work without the ball, which is even more important than when they have the ball. We know what they do with the ball, they can each single-handedly decide a match."
This complicity and collective self-sacrifice therefore allow France to move forward calmly in this 2026 World Cup. The Blues will face Paraguay in the quarter-finals on July 4 at the Philadelphia stadium.