Zlatan Ibrahimović has launched a brutal assessment of England’s World Cup campaign, claiming Thomas Tuchel’s side failed when they finally encountered a “proper team”.
England reached the semi-finals before surrendering a late lead in a 2-1 defeat by Argentina. Anthony Gordon put the Three Lions ahead, but goals from Enzo Fernández and Lautaro Martínez sent the defending champions into Sunday’s final.
Ibrahimović believes the result exposed the difference between competing with the tournament’s leading teams and actually defeating them.
Zlatan dismisses Norway victory
“If you go back, England has won a World Cup,” Ibrahimović said during a mypartner.com panel in New York, quoted by ESPN. “How many times did England beat a proper team?”
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“Yesterday they played against a proper team, Argentina, in a major tournament.
“Winning against Norway, with all respect for Norway, it’s not a proper team. And I’m Swedish, that’s f—— teasing.”
England needed extra time to beat Norway 2-1 in the quarter-finals, with Jude Bellingham scoring both goals. Ibrahimović, however, refused to view that result as proof that Tuchel’s team could compete with the very best.
“Argentina is a proper team,” he continued. “So yes, England, they show fighting spirit, they show their mentality. But let’s be honest, they didn’t beat a proper team.”
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‘Yesterday was a reality check’
Ibrahimović also took aim at the attention surrounding England during major tournaments, accusing the country’s media of inflating expectations before the team has earned the right to be considered among the elite.
“When you beat a proper team, then you start talking,” he said. “But I know the English press. They like the gossip, they like the propaganda to build them up, to make them big.
“Yesterday was a reality check. There are levels to these games. Levels. That’s the difference.
“Look in the mirror and ask yourself: How good are you?”
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England led Argentina until the 85th minute but surrendered control after switching to a more defensive formation. Tuchel’s side recorded only 12 per cent possession between Gordon’s opening goal and Martínez’s stoppage-time winner, as reported by The Guardian.
Premier League success questioned
The former Manchester United striker also rejected the idea that the strength of the Premier League automatically reflects the quality of the England national team.
“People, according to themselves, think they are good, better than everybody else,” Ibrahimović said.
“But the reality is the Premier League is not only based on English players. You have a mix of foreign players who represent the Premier League, and that’s why the Premier League is good.”
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His comments are deliberately provocative. England did defeat Croatia 4-2 during the group stage, while Norway reached the quarter-finals after eliminating Brazil. Whether those opponents qualify as “proper teams” is a matter of opinion rather than fact.
Argentina nevertheless represented England’s strongest test of the tournament. Tuchel’s players came within minutes of passing it before retreating and allowing the world champions to take control.
Another painful England post-mortem
The defeat means England have now lost World Cup semi-finals in 1990, 2018 and 2026. Their only appearance in the final remains the 1966 victory over West Germany.
Tuchel, not Gareth Southgate, led England at this tournament. He was appointed to introduce a more assertive approach but has faced criticism for becoming increasingly cautious after Gordon’s goal.
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England will now face France in Saturday’s third-place play-off. Ibrahimović’s verdict ensures they will do so amid another fierce debate about whether their latest run represented genuine progress or another favourable route that ended against the first elite opponent in their path.
