Former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic delivered a memorable reaction after Norway stunned Brazil 2-1 to reach the FIFA World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in the country’s history. Praising Norway’s resilience, tactical discipline and determination, Ibrahimovic compared the Scandinavian side’s remarkable run to Sweden’s third-place finish at the 1994 World Cup and summed up their hunger with the phrase, “When the lion is hungry, he eats.”

Ibrahimovic said Norway’s journey reminded him of Sweden’s memorable campaign more than three decades ago. He suggested that the similarities between the two teams made Norway’s progress particularly enjoyable to watch and wondered whether they could go as far as Sweden did in 1994. The former striker praised Norway for continuing to “row this boat” as they extended their historic run in the tournament.

The former Sweden captain was far less impressed with Brazil, saying the five-time champions had failed to convince him from their opening match. He also questioned the tactical changes made by Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti, arguing that they failed to produce the desired result. In contrast, Ibrahimovic said Norway coach Stale Solbakken’s substitutions worked and helped transform the match.

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Ibrahimovic jokingly suggested that Norway had been playing “Joga Bonito” while Brazil had produced something he could not recognise. He also referred to Norway’s celebrations and said the “Vikings” were now through to the next round. His comments reflected the scale of the result as Norway eliminated the most successful team in World Cup history to continue their unprecedented campaign.

The former striker reserved special praise for Erling Haaland, who scored twice in the closing stages to decide the contest. Ibrahimovic had identified Haaland as the player to watch before the match and noted that the forward had once again refused to finish a game without scoring. Haaland’s late brace overturned Brazil’s advantage and sent Norway into the quarterfinals.

Brazil had dominated long periods of the match but failed to make their chances count, with Bruno Guimaraes missing a first-half penalty and Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland producing several crucial saves. Neymar converted a stoppage-time penalty, but it was not enough to prevent a 2-1 defeat. The result marked Brazil’s seventh consecutive World Cup knockout loss against European opposition and confirmed Norway’s historic place in the last eight.

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