(Video) “He turned into an animal”.. This is how Ibrahimovic described what Messi did against Egypt | sports

Swedish star Zlatan Ibrahimovic singled out Argentine Lionel Messi for praise after his decisive performance against Egypt, stressing that the Argentine national team captain proved once again that he is still capable of making a difference in the biggest forums.

Ibrahimovic said, in statements to Fox Sports, that Lionel Messi turned into an “animal” during the match that led Argentina to a dramatic 3-2 victory over Egypt in the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup, specifically after returning from the second water-drinking period.

The Swedish star added: “Messi became like an animal (a monster) and no one could stop him. He continued to advance without stopping, and we saw the version of him that we used to see, and which we still see until now.”

Ibrahimovic pointed out that the great motivation that Messi possesses, despite all his achievements, is what impresses him most, saying: “You can see how important it is for him emotionally. Remember that he previously won the World Cup, achieved many titles, won the Ballon d’Or and everything. His CV is complete, but he still wants more, and this is amazing.”

The Argentine national team had overturned a two-goal deficit against the Egyptian national team into a dramatic 3-2 victory, after Messi scored the equalizer, before Enzo Fernandez snatched the winning goal in stoppage time, leading the defending champion to the quarter-finals.

With this goal, Messi became the top scorer in the 2026 World Cup with 8 goals, one goal ahead of both Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, waiting to face the winner of the match between Colombia and Switzerland in the quarter-finals.