Ending weeks of speculation, the Swedish football federation announced Thursday that star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who quit the national squad in 2016, will not make a comeback for this summer’s World Cup in Russia.
“I spoke with Zlatan on Tuesday. He said that he has not changed his mind regarding the national squad,” the managing director of the national squad, Lars Richt, said in a statement after the player dropped numerous hints of a possible return.
“It’s a no,” Richt added.
In an appearance on ABC television’s late night Jimmy Kimmel show on April 18, the new star of LA Galaxy teased fans that he may come out of retirement to play in the showpiece.
Known for his swagger, Zlatan said “it wouldn’t be a World Cup” if he didn’t play, clearly forgetting he has not played in one since 2006, before adding: “I’m going to the World Cup, yes.”
The 36-year-old retired from the Swedish team after the 2016 European Championship. He said last month he wanted to concentrate on settling into his new life in Major League Soccer before thinking about the World Cup.
Following an injury-blighted stay at Manchester United, the father of two became the latest in a long line of aging stars to leave European football for the US.
The 6ft 4ins (1.95m) striker tweeted on April 15: “The chance of me playing in the World Cup is skyhöga (sky high).”
He later told Swedish media that “high odds — that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.”
Ibrahimovic had just weeks earlier become a global brand ambassador for Swedish betting company Bethard, prompting some Swedish commentators to lament that his World Cup teasing was nothing more than an advertising gimmick.
“It feels like the whole thing was just aimed at building up his brand in the US and it even seemed at times like he thought it was funny,” Daniel Nannskog, a commentator for Swedish public broadcaster SVT, said.
At home in Sweden, Ibrahimovic’s possible World Cup return elicited mixed reactions.
Sweden coach Janne Andersson has been coolly indifferent.
“It doesn’t change anything for me,” he said last month.
“Zlatan is very welcome to call me” if he wants to join the squad, Andersson added.
Richt declined to specify whether the team had asked Ibrahimovic to join.
He “has always said that he won’t play and he quit the national team,” Richt told AFP.
Some Sweden fans would love nothing more than to see the country’s most prolific goal-scorer — he notched 62 goals in 116 games — don the blue-and-yellow kit again.
But others argue he has no place on a squad that managed to qualify without him, memorably eliminating World Cup giants Italy in a playoff.
Ibrahimovic has 31 winners’ medals in spells with Ajax, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.
But his 2017 season and ultimately his United career was brought to a premature end by cruciate ligament damage suffered in April.
He never returned as a regular in the United side.
In trademark style, he announced his arrival in Los Angeles with a full-page advert in the LA Times reading simply: “Dear Los Angeles, You’re welcome.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic rules out international return at the World Cup for Sweden
Zlatan Ibrahimovic rules out international return at the World Cup for Sweden
- The LA Galaxy star had dropped hints he was ready to return to international duty at this summer's World Cup.
- 36-year-old retired from the Swedish team after the 2016 European Championship
Milan must maintain derby dominance to revive title race
- Milan are undefeated in the last six derbies, winning four
- Inter have dropped just two points in the last 15 games
MILAN: AC Milan need to maintain their recent dominance over neighbors Inter Milan in this weekend’s derby to keep alive any realistic hope of challenging for the Serie A title after losing ground to the league leaders.
Milan are undefeated in the last six derbies, winning four, and Sunday’s meeting at the San Siro feels like a must-win match for the second-placed side with Inter 10 points clear at the top.
At the start of January, three teams were battling for the Scudetto. Inter held a one-point lead over Milan, with reigning champions Napoli a further point back, but only one side has maintained title-winning form.
Inter have dropped just two points in the last 15 games to pull further away at the top while Milan have let seven points slip away in their most recent six games.
Massimiliano Allegri’s Milan have lost two league games all season compared to Inter’s four defeats, but drawing nine times has been their downfall and another stalemate on Sunday would be of little use to a side playing catch-up.
“In derbies there are no favorites,” Milan defender Strahinja Pavlovic told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“We saw it last season too, in the league we struggled and finished eighth, but we often won derbies. The derby is a story in itself.
“Nothing is over yet. There are 11 games left and the important thing is to stay united and give our best until the last minute.”
Inter are still without injured striker Lautaro Martinez, with Francesco Pio Esposito likely to lead the attack while Milan defender Matteo Gabbia is expected to be out for a month after undergoing a hernia operation.
DERBY DAY VERDICT
Inter’s most recent derby win came in April, 2024, where an away victory allowed them to clinch their last league title in front of the Milan fans.
That win was the last in a run of six successive victories over Milan, and while another derby victory would not seal the title this time, a gap of 13 points with 10 games left would leave Inter in cruise control for the rest of the season.
Napoli, meanwhile, are four points behind Milan, their title defense ended by two defeats in their last six games and they host Torino on Friday.
AS Roma, fourth in the standings, are at Genoa on Sunday, while Como are away to Cagliari on Saturday as Cesc Fabregas’ side have European qualification firmly in their sights.
Como are fifth, three points off Roma and one ahead of Juventus who host relegation-battling Pisa on Saturday.
