Zlatan Ibrahimovic was moved by Lionel Messi’s two-goal performance for Argentina against Austria on Monday at the World Cup, saying the Barcelona teammate “is in a category of his own.” Ibrahimovic, who is now a Fox Sports pundit at the tournament, said Messi’s latest achievements have ended any debate about the greatest footballer of all time.
Speaking after Messi broke the World Cup all-time scoring record, Ibrahimovic said, “There was never any doubt. There are moments when he looks human, like when he misses a penalty, and then there are moments when he does not look human, that is Messi. So far this is his World Cup.” He added that Messi has not yet played against Jordan, joking, “I do not know where it will end. Five goals in two games... I have zero goals in two World Cups!”
Ibrahimovic argued that Messi’s longevity is what separates him from every other legend. He said that after becoming the World Cup’s all-time top scorer, winning the tournament, dominating it across different generations and still producing at age 38, “What more do people want?” He said even icons such as Pele, Diego Maradona and Johan Cruyff cannot match Messi’s total record, career length and trophies.
He was also impressed by Messi’s response to missing a first-half penalty against Austria. Rather than being shaken, Messi kept asking for the ball and finished the match with two precise goals. “For many players that can hurt confidence,” Ibrahimovic said, “but that is exactly why Messi is different. He never hides, he keeps demanding the ball and puts himself in positions to decide games.”
