CORNERFLICK
Zlatan Ibrahimovic praised Cristiano Ronaldo’s performance in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, then questioned his post-match claim that he was “back”.
Ronaldo scored twice and singled out the TV camera after the game, prompting a wave of reaction online and in the media. Speaking on Fox Sports, Ibrahimovic said the match was one Portugal should win comfortably because of the gap in quality between the sides.
He added that the result itself did not surprise him. What caught his attention was Ronaldo’s message.
“It was a game for goals,” Ibrahimovic said. “It was a game where Portugal should score a lot. And about his message, I think he never left. I don’t know why he says I’m back.”
Ronaldo said later that talk of a possible meeting with Lionel Messi would be “fantastic”, but stressed that Portugal’s immediate aim was to progress in the tournament. The 41-year-old said the group-stage target had been met and that the team had answered a difficult week of criticism with a strong display.