Zlatan names African team to watch in the 2026 World Cup knockout stage

Former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has singled out the Ivory Coast as the African side to watch during the knockout stage of the current FIFA World Cup.

The ex‑Manchester United and Paris Saint‑Germain player believes the Elephants could pose a threat, noting that they entered the tournament with momentum.

Ibrahimovic made the comments on Fox after Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2‑0 in their final group match on Thursday, securing a place in the Round of 32.

“They can be dangerous. They’re a very good team; they lost to Germany, but that game could have ended in a draw or even a win,” the former Barcelona forward said.

“So, it’s not like they came out of the group with one loss because of a bad game against Germany. They played a good game against Germany and could easily get a point against them.”

“This is a team to watch out for when the knockout stage comes. Whoever plays them has to be careful, of course; they come with something, and what they bring is a lot of credit.”