Zlatan Ibrahimovic responds to retirement talk as Sweden miss out on World Cup

Zlatan Ibramhimovic does not intend to retire from international football just yet, despite the 40-year-old’s Sweden side missing out on World Cup qualification on Tuesday night.

Sweden took on Poland in Chorzow for a place in Qatar and it was goals from Robert Lewandowski and Piotr Zielinski that gave the Poles a 2-0 win.

Ibrahimovic came off the bench 79 minutes into the contest but couldn’t turn the tide and there were understandably questions over his future, with his 41st birthday coming around later this year.

The AC Milan striker was not that bullish on his international future, but wants to keep playing for his country if he can.

‘I hope so,’ Ibrahimovic told C More on whether he will continue to play for Sweden. ‘As long as I can stay healthy and play and contribute something.’

Asked again on whether he thought Tuesday night would be his last game, he said: ‘There is no answer now.

‘Everyone is disappointed. It’s depressing, but it’s normal when you lose. Everyone wants to play the World Cup and experience a World Cup, but unfortunately that won’t happen.’

Sweden’s manager Janne Andersson echoed Zlatan’s thoughts, saying: ‘If it’s the case that Zlatan wants to be involved and he’s completely healthy – because he has to be, he has to play because otherwise it will be difficult – then he definitely has something to add still.’

The former Barcelona, PSG and Manchester United man has scored eight Serie A goals this season for AC Milan, although he hasn’t scored for his country since 2015. Largely because he didn’t play for his country between 2017-20, but he hasn’t netted since returning to international duty in 2021.

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