Zlatan Ibrahimovic claims it’s ‘already written’ for Argentina to triumph in Qatar… as he backs former team-mate Lionel Messi to finally win the World Cup
Zlatan Ibrahimovic thinks it’s written in the stars for Lionel Messi to win the World Cup with Argentina in Qatar.
The South American nation have made it to the last-four, and will face Croatia in the semi-finals on Tuesday night.
This year’s tournament has been full of upsets, with Brazil, Germany, Spain and Belgium all exiting earlier than expected. It has been one of the least predictable World Cups in recent memory, but Ibrahimovic is confident that he already knows who the eventual winners will be.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic thinks it is inevitable that Lionel Messi will win the World Cup this year
Messi has played a key role in Argentina’s run to the semi-finals where they will face Croatia
‘I think it’s already written who will win, and you know who I mean. I think Messi will lift the trophy, it’s already written,’ Ibrahimovic told reporters during AC Milan’s mid-season tour of Dubai.
If Argentina are to go all the way, they may have to get past Morocco in the final, should they beat France in their own last-four clash.
Morocco are the first African nation to make it to the semi-finals, but Ibrahimovic has claimed he is not shocked that they have done so well.
‘I don’t think it’s a surprise because I knew they were good before the World Cup. Then obviously in the World Cup everything can happen,’ he added.
Ibrahimovic has claimed he is not surprised that Morocco have shone in Qatar
‘That they reached the semi-final, maybe a little surprised, but remember it’s a good team, a good nation. And these surprises I think the people like; they enjoy because they want these things to happen so they get some kind of extra adrenaline.’
Ibrahimovic and Messi played alongside one another at Barcelona in 2009-10, winning LaLiga together, as well as the Spanish Super Cup and Club World Cup.
Messi has gone on to win almost every prize in the sport, including the Ballon d’Or on seven occasions, but the World Cup has eluded him so far.
Now playing at his fifth World Cup, he is within touching distance of lifting international football’s biggest trophy, and Ibrahimovic is backing him and Argentina to get over the line on Sunday.
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