Zlatan Ibrahimovic has offered his characteristic blunt assessment of the differences between American and European football fan culture, speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live ahead of his debut as a Fox Sports pundit for the 2026 World Cup.
The Milan senior advisor, currently in the United States as the tournament begins, maintained his irreverent persona throughout the interview, discussing his time with the LA Galaxy, his views on Messi and Ronaldo, and his new role in front of the camera.
Regarding the contrasting fan cultures of the two continents, Ibrahimovic humorously stated, “When I played here with the Galaxy, when we lost I came out of the stadium and saw fans laughing, eating tacos, waiting by the car,” he said. “Soft. In Europe if you lose a match the fans don’t wait by the car, they wait at your house. And definitely not with a taco in hand. It is a totally different thing.”
He elaborated further by recalling an incident from his days at PSG. “When we went away to Marseille, they threw knives onto the pitch,” he recounted. “We scored, and usually you celebrate towards the corner flag, near the fans. I saw they had thrown a knife. I told my teammates that for the next goal we would celebrate in the centre of the pitch. I wanted to get out alive.”
On his upcoming punditry role, Ibrahimovic expressed his usual confidence. “I am the only one without a script,” he declared. “They want Zlatan, I will give them Zlatan. When the others do their analysis I think the American viewers will fall asleep, I am here to wake them up.”
When asked to choose between Messi and Ronaldo, his answer was characteristically Zlatan. “Who is better between Messi and Ronaldo? I say Zlatan.”
