Zlatan Ibrahimović Assesses Sweden's Performance and Warns About France: "It's Terrifying"

"From what we've seen so far, it's terrifying," the former striker responded when asked if France is the best team in the tournament. He highlighted the depth of offensive quality available to coach Didier Deschamps. According to the iconic Swede, practically every attacker can decide a match on their own.

Ibrahimović specifically singled out Michael Olise, who, despite not scoring, registered two assists and significantly influenced the game. "He has a vision for the game that Mbappé and Dembélé lack. He sees passes they don't. They, in turn, have other qualities," he explained in the company of Thierry Henry, Rebecca Lowe, and Alexi Lalas.

The match itself confirmed the Swedish legend's words. France defeated Sweden 3-0, with captain Kylian Mbappé scoring two goals and Bradley Barcola adding one. The French dominated virtually every aspect of the game, creating numerous chances and allowing their opponents very little.

The Swedes managed to resist for approximately twenty minutes. However, they then lost their organization, especially defensively, which Zlatan Ibrahimović accurately pinpointed. "They were stable for 15 to 20 minutes, and then they lost discipline and organization, especially in defense," he stated.

However, the Malmö native also had words of praise for coach Graham Potter. He lauded the return to a four-man defense system and the deployment of the attacking duo Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres.

"I think this is exactly how they should play, but I'm not a coach. Graham Potter did a good job just by getting them to the World Cup. I'm happy for Sweden. We are a small nation, we made it to the World Cup. We had difficulties before when we didn't qualify, and we should be proud," he added with a smile.

In a broader context, he evaluated Sweden's performance in the tournament positively. He recalled the dominant 5-1 victory over Tunisia, the tough loss to the Netherlands, and the draw with Japan.

Against France, he believes it's not just about the opponent's performance. "If France shifts into a higher gear, it doesn't matter how perfectly you play. You can be as perfect as you want, it's all about what France wants. That's why I say it's terrifying, because everything depends on them," emphasized the 44-year-old Swede.

The discussion concluded with a typical "Zlatanesque" moment, as the famous footballer didn't forget to turn all attention to himself: "Our country has 10 million people, football is our main sport, and we have one of the best who succeeded... and he's sitting right here in the studio. What I mean is, you only know about Sweden because I put its flag on the map."