Soccer legend Zlatan Ibrahimović's one-word response to US Men's World Cup question will inspire hope

Dan Dakich analyzes the U.S. men's national soccer team's impressive 4-1 World Cup victory against Paraguay. He emphasizes the team's speed and confidence, attributing it to many players' experience at higher levels. This strong start positions the USA team well for their upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 showdown.

Heading into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, few pundits or fans were giving the U.S. Men's National Team much of a chance.

To be clear, many predicted the team to have a solid showing, with several calling on them to make it out of the group stage.

Given the added pressure of being a host nation, it's fair to think the team would have a good tournament, but no one actually believed that the United States could actually win the whole thing.

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United States' Alex Freeman heads the ball for a goal past Australia goalkeeper Patrick Beach during the World Cup Group D soccer match in Seattle on June 19, 2026. (Maddy Grassy/AP Photo)

After their convincing wins over Paraguay and Australia that sent them on to the knockout rounds, however, many are starting to readjust their expectations regarding the ceiling of this squad.

One of those pundits who is starting to rethink his stance on the Stars and Stripes is 12-time Swedish Player of the Year and FOX Soccer correspondent Zlatan Ibrahimović.

Ibrahimović is known for being a hard guy to impress, but after seeing the USMNT up close for two matches on the world's biggest stage, the sensational Swedish striker is ready to believe.

While he isn't known as a jokester normally, I had to rewind this clip three different times to make sure I heard him correctly.

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I didn't think this USMNT had a shot in