Published on 6/15/2026
Swedish football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic was widely criticized in his country, after he attended the mixed martial arts (UFC) tournament that was held in the White House garden, instead of watching the opening match of the Swedish national team in the World Cup.
The Swedish team achieved a major victory over its Tunisian counterpart, 5-1, in the Mexican city of Monterrey, on Monday morning, but the Swedish team’s all-time top scorer, Ibrahimovic, was busy attending another event in the United States of America, where US President Donald Trump celebrated his eightieth birthday during the UFC event hosted by the White House.
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The Swedish newspaper Expressen wrote: “Zlatan ignores Sweden and attends the UFC tournament, in reference to the controversy sparked by his absence from supporting his country’s national team in its first match in the tournament.”
The newspaper also quoted the statements of former midfielder Jasper Carlstrom, who said: “He should have given priority to our match,” expressing dissatisfaction within Swedish football circles with the retired star’s decision.
It is noteworthy that Ibrahimovic, who was born in the city of Malmo and is 44 years old, had previously sparked widespread discussion in Sweden about his affiliations during the World Cup, especially in light of his family background, as his father hails from Bosnia and Herzegovina and his mother is from Croatia.
The former player had previously stated, “I know the Bosnian people, they are a very proud people, and I also have some roots in Croatia, so I support them in that tournament as well,” which revived the debate about his football loyalties during international competitions.
