Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not hesitate. Asked on Fox’s postgame broadcast whether the co-hosts can win the World Cup, the former Sweden striker answered with a single word: “Yes.” After the US men’s team made it two wins from two by beating Australia 2-0 in Seattle on Friday, the players heard the compliment – and they agreed.
“I don’t think it’s ridiculous,” said defender Chris Richards. “We want to lift a trophy by the end of this.” Auston Trusty echoed him: “That’s our mindset. I don’t think you enter this tournament not to have that mindset. To have [Ibrahimovic] say that about us, that’s amazing. But I’m sure he knows as well, it’s game-by-game.”
“USA beat Australia 2-0 to reach World Cup knockout stages; Zlatan Ibrahimovic says they can win it.”
The victory at Lumen Field guaranteed the US a spot in the knockout stage, and it was sealed by a moment of teenage magic. Alex Freeman, a 21-year-old defender now at Villarreal after rising through MLS with Orlando City, scored the second goal – a strike initially ruled out for offside, then given after a lengthy VAR review. Freeman, the son of Super Bowl champion Antonio Freeman, described the feeling: “I think you dream of this moment. And for it to finally happen with such a support system to help you celebrate it makes it so much more special. When it was confirmed, I saw all my teammates running and I thought: ‘I’ve got to run away, they’re going to tackle me!’”
Mauricio Pochettino, who said at his introductory press conference that his goal is to win the World Cup with the US, praised both the player and the system that produced him. “The evolution is massive,” the head coach said after the game. “He has potential to be one of the best players in his position in the world. He’s [a] humble guy, he has an amazing profile. He wants to learn. He always listens … you really enjoy being with him.”
The best the US have ever done at a men’s World Cup was third place in the tournament’s first edition in 1930. Their best modern finish came in 2002, when they reached the quarter-finals. Now, with two wins in two and a high-profile believer in Ibrahimovic, they are through to the knockout stage – and dreaming bigger.