Ibra Captivated by Cape Verde: A Small Island with Big Dreams

Zlatan Ibrahimović didn't hold back his praise for the Cape Verde national team's performance, who came agonizingly close to a sensation against Argentina (a 3-2 loss after extra time) in the World Cup Round of 16. According to the former Swedish international, the "Blue Sharks" are unforgettable heroes.

As an analyst for the American channel Fox Sports, Ibra spared no superlatives to describe the "beautiful story" and journey of Cape Verde. Zlatan insisted on applauding the smallest nation by area ever to participate in a World Cup – "a small island with big dreams," in his words.

“These guys are heroes. They have become idols on this small island; they are stars. It's important to note that they didn't lose a single match in regular 90 minutes. They almost managed to win this game. I think the whole world didn't believe this was possible, or rather, I should say that this small island believed it was possible,” analyzed the visibly emotional former striker.

“I am 200% sure that when they return to this small island, they will be greeted with a huge celebration, with a red carpet. What they did will go down in history; they made a dream come true. I'm almost in tears because I enjoyed this moment, watching these scenes. As Thierry Henry said, Argentina didn't even celebrate, because it's not about Argentina or Leo Messi, but about Cape Verde. And they almost made it. This is football, these are the emotions. This is what we love,” Ibrahimović concluded.