Ibrahimovic picks Croatia in World Cup analysis and doubts Panama's chances

Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his debut as a pundit on Fox Sports’ World Cup studio coverage and quickly drew attention with a blunt assessment of one group at the start of the 2026 World Cup. The former Sweden striker was asked which group interested him most, and he pointed to Group 12, where Croatia are among the teams.

Ibrahimovic said he supports Croatia in the tournament because of his family background. “There is Croatia there. I have a little Croatian roots, so I support them in this tournament,” he said, referring to his mother, Jurka, who was born in Croatia.

Group 12 also includes England, coached by Thomas Tuchel, 2018 World Cup runners-up Croatia, Ghana and Panama. Ibrahimovic predicted that England and Croatia would battle for first place in the group. He added that Ghana have “great talent” and could take points from the favorites, but said he could not see Panama doing much.

When the host asked whether Panama might at least score a goal or pick up a point, Ibrahimovic stayed firm and even poked fun at his studio partner Thierry Henry for being too generous in his praise of teams. “It is just going to be too hard for them,” Ibrahimovic said.