Zlatan Ibrahimovic slates Madueke after Norway win

England advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in Miami on Saturday, July 11, but the performance of winger Noni Madueke drew sharp criticism from former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Arsenal player, who started in place of the injured Bukayo Saka, was substituted at halftime by manager Thomas Tuchel after a first half in which he failed to make a significant impact.

Ibrahimovic, serving as a pundit for Fox Sports, delivered a brutal assessment of Madueke's 45-minute outing. He stated that England effectively played with ten men while Madueke was on the pitch, criticizing the player's work rate and decision-making. "I think they're playing with one player less so far Madueke has been on the pitch," Ibrahimovic said. "I have to say every time he gets the ball he makes the wrong decision, and he's walking on the pitch. If I'm Tuchel, I change him because he's done nothing this first 45."

The legendary striker even referenced a controversial moment in the match when the ball struck a spidercam cable suspended over the field. "If the ball touched the cable, then the cable had a better performance than Madueke, for...