2026 World Cup: Zlatan Ibrahimović sees Ivory Coast as a serious outsider

The former glory of Swedish football, Zlatan Ibrahimović, thinks that Côte d’Ivoire could be one of the surprises of the knockout stage of the 2026 World Cup. The former striker for Manchester United FC, Paris Saint-Germain, and FC Barcelona believes that the Elephants have the necessary qualities to create surprises against major nations.

Asked on Fox after Côte d’Ivoire’s 2-0 victory over Curaçao on Thursday, a win that secured the Elephants’ qualification for the round of 16, Ibrahimović praised the Ivorian team. “Côte d’Ivoire can be dangerous. It’s a very good team. They lost to Germany, but that match could very well have ended in a draw or even in a victory,” said the Swede.

He also emphasized the quality of the performance delivered by the Ivorians against the Mannschaft. “This defeat does not reflect their level. They had a very good match against Germany and fully deserved to take at least one point.” For Ibrahimović, Côte d’Ivoire is now among the teams to follow in the rest of the competition. “This is a team that will need to be watched very closely during the final stages. All of its future opponents should be wary, as they have the tools to take down anyone,” he concluded.