CORNERFLICK
Zlatan Ibrahimovic praised Lionel Messi after Argentina’s comeback win over Egypt, then mocked the striker’s critics and Cristiano Ronaldo fans during his Fox Sports appearance.
Argentina overturned a 2-0 deficit to reach the quarter-finals of the 2026 World Cup, prompting a strong reaction from Ibrahimovic, who said Messi “became a real monster” once his side fell behind.
He described Messi as a player who kept moving forward and insisted the Argentina captain produced the version of himself that fans have come to expect. Ibrahimovic also pointed to Messi’s World Cup title, Ballon d’Ors and other trophies, calling him the “embodiment of football” while saying he still wants more success.
The former Sweden forward then turned his attention to Messi’s detractors and Ronaldo supporters, telling them they had started celebrating too early. He joked that they would have to go to bed “with pain and tears” after Argentina’s late rescue.
Ibrahimovic also credited Egypt, saying they fought for every ball, defended bravely and believed they could beat Argentina until the end.