Zlatan won’t be heading to World Cup with Swedes
BY ED CASEY ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC has insisted he won’t come out of international retirement to play for Sweden at the World Cup.
The 36-year-old striker, who recently left Manchester United to join LA Galaxy, had hinted he might resume his 116-cap career having retired from international duty two years ago.
But in a statement published on the Swedish team’s Instagram page national selectors said: “A final message: Zlatan will not play at the World Cup.
“The men’s national team’s greatest scorer of all time has not returned and will not play.”
National team manager Lars Richt said: “I talked to Zlatan on Tuesday. He said he has not changed his mind about the national team – so it is a no.”
Ibrahimovic, who has also played for the likes of Juventus, Barcelona and PSG, went to the 2002 and 2006 tournaments and scored 62 goals for Sweden across more than a century of appearances.
Earlier this month he tweeted his belief his chances of featuring in Russia this summer were “skyhoga”, meaning sky high, and he later appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! talk show to say: “I’m going to the World Cup, yes.”
Yesterday he posted a video on Twitter which portrayed him coolly observing an incoming phone call from “Janne” – potentially referring to Sweden head coach Janne Andersson.
Sweden face Germany, Mexico and South Korea in the finals. RESULTS