FIFA World Cup 2026: "When the lion is hungry, he eats," says Zlatan on Norway's dream run after Brazil shocker
New York, July 6
Former Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic hailed Norway's historic victory over Brazil, saying the Scandinavian side reminded him of Sweden's memorable run to a third-place finish at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, in a video shared by FOX Sports on X.
Reacting after Norway defeated Brazil to book a place in the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in their history, Ibrahimovic credited Norway's resilience and tactical discipline while questioning Brazil's display.
"When the lion is hungry, he eats," Ibrahimovic said in a video shared by FOX Sports on X.
"Listen, this Norway reminds me of Sweden, World Cup '94. And let's see if they can reach as far as Sweden did. Sweden came third place, but this story is a little bit similar and it's beautiful to see they continue to row this boat," he said.
The former striker said Brazil had failed to impress him throughout the tournament and felt the tactical changes made by head coach Carlo Ancelotti did not produce the desired outcome.
"And Brazil never convinced me, not since their first game, and the changes that Carlo did today didn't give results. The changes that Solbakken did gave results, and it seems like Norway was doing Joga Bonito while Brazil was doing Joga I don't know what," Ibrahimovic remarked in a video shared by FOX Sports on X.
He further said, "They were dancing before the win, and yeah, now the Vikings is through to the next round."
Ibrahimovic reserved special praise for Norway striker Erling Haaland, who scored twice in the victory.
"We're enjoying Haaland. I said it before the game, player to watch. Will he go a game without a goal? Not yet, another two today," he added.
Erling Haaland scored twice in the closing stages as Norway stunned Brazil 2-1 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 at MetLife Stadium, reaching the quarter-finals for the first time in the nation's history.
Brazil dominated large spells of the match and missed a first-half penalty through Bruno Guimaraes, while Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland produced a string of crucial saves.
Haaland's late brace proved decisive before Neymar converted a stoppage-time penalty for Brazil, whose tournament ended with a seventh straight World Cup knockout defeat to European opposition.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a neutral fan, I've got to say Brazil's tactical setup under Ancelotti was confusing. They had all the possession but no cutting edge. Haaland just needed one chance and he took it twice. That's the difference between a clinical striker and a team that wants to walk the ball into the net. Norway's keeper Nyland deserves a special mention too – he was brilliant.
I remember watching Sweden in 1994 when I was a kid – they were so disciplined and tactical. Zlatan is spot on about the similarities. But let's be honest, Brazil's dancing before the win is exactly the arrogance that costs them every time against European sides. It's sad to see a football powerhouse decline like this. Norway played like true Vikings – fearless and relentless. Skål! 🍻
Respectfully, I think people are being too harsh on Brazil. They dominated for 80 minutes and missed a penalty – sometimes football is cruel. But credit to Norway's resilience, that's what tournament football is about. Haaland is clearly the best striker in the world right now. I just wish VAR had checked Neymar's penalty decision at the end – it looked soft.
Zlatan's confidence is infectious! "When the lion is hungry, he eats" – that's going straight into my WhatsApp status 😄 But on a serious note, Brazil's over-reliance on individual brilliance rather than team play is their downfall. Norway showed that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. And Haaland? He's not human, he's a goal-scoring machine! Can't wait to see who they face next.
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