The first guest on Fox Sports' FIFA World Cup Tonight was a familiar sight to MLS fans. LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic — a veteran of the 2002 and 2006 World Cups — appeared live on set in Moscow on Thursday night.
Co-host Alexi Lalas asked perhaps the most pressing question for Sweden fans (and Zlatan fans) right off the bat: "How is it possible that Sweden did not take Zlatan to the World Cup?"
He answered cheekily at first, saying, "Or Zlatan didn't want to go to the World Cup," before delving into a more comprehensive, serious answer: "Let's be honest. I retired a couple of years ago. I feel the new generation, the upcoming generation, it's their moment. They made it without me and I'm super happy for them. I don't want to destroy the party; let them enjoy, so they feel less pressure if I'm not there."
When asked if the Swedish team would be better with his presence, he coyly said, "The media says they're better without me."
Ibrahimovic, who retired after the Euro 2016 tournament, earned 116 caps with Sweden dating back to 2001. He famously said, after Sweden lost a playoff against Portugal to miss out on World Cup 2014, "One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch."
Ibrahimovic, officially at the World Cup doing promotional events with VISA, said he'd likely catch his national team in action later in the interview, revealed his non-Sweden pick to win the World Cup (hint: they also play in yellow), and found other opportunities to talk about himself in the third person. Sweden opens Group F play against South Korea on Monday at 8 am ET.
Ibrahimovic has seven goals for the Galaxy in 11 games (eight starts) so far this season. The Galaxy resume action June 30 in a Cali Clasico against the San Jose Earthquakes at Stanford Stadium.
