Written by Rhea Alison, Sports reporter, covering international sports since 2020

Erling Haaland World Cup preparations took an unexpected turn on Thursday when retired Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic playfully took aim at the Norway star during Fox Sports' coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. With Haaland preparing to lead Norway's attack on football's biggest stage, Ibrahimovic joked about the Manchester City striker's style of play, creating one of the lighter moments of the tournament's opening days.

Zlatan Takes a Swipe at Haaland

Widely regarded as one of the best strikers in world football, Haaland arrives at the World Cup as one of the most feared goal scorers in the competition. However, Ibrahimovic was not ready to hand out compliments.

During the pregame broadcast, the Swedish icon described Haaland as "one-dimensional" before making a trademark Zlatan-style remark. He suggested that if Haaland received two chances in a match, he would score two goals. Then Ibrahimovic added that if he received two chances, he would score three.

The comments drew laughter from the studio panel and highlighted the confidence that defined Ibrahimovic's playing career.

Lalas Joins the Debate

Former United States defender Alexi Lalas was also part of the discussion. When asked to compare the two strikers, Lalas sided with Haaland over his broadcast colleague, adding another humorous layer to the exchange.

With both personalities now working together during Fox's World Cup coverage, fans can expect more entertaining debates throughout the tournament.

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