'I thought he never left?' - Zlatan mocks Ronaldo for 'I'm back' message

Ronaldo-Zlatan

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has mocked Cristiano Ronaldo following the Portugal icon's "I'm back" declaration during the 2026 World Cup. The legendary Swede questioned why the Al-Nassr forward felt the need to announce his return after scoring twice in Portugal's dominant victory over Uzbekistan.

Ibrahimovic questions Ronaldo's declaration

Ronaldo made sure the cameras heard him loud and clear after scoring twice in Portugal's 5-0 win over Uzbekistan in their World Cup Group K clash. After enduring a difficult opening match where he failed to score in a 1-1 draw against DR Congo, the 41-year-old roared "I am back" directly into the lens after helping his country secure their first three points.

However, Ibrahimovic, working as a pundit in the Fox Sports studio, was less than impressed by the theatrics. The former AC Milan and Barcelona striker said in a sarcastic tone: "It was a game to score. It was a game for Portugal to score a lot of goals. And regarding his message, I thought he never left. I don't know why he says 'I'm back.'"

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Historic scoring streak continues

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a right-footed strike following a Joao Cancelo cross, before adding a second in the 39th minute after being played in by Bruno Fernandes. The brace makes him the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history at 41, trailing only Roger Milla who scored at 42 in 1994.

The goals ensured Ronaldo became the only man to score in six different editions of the tournament, dating back to his debut in 2006. While his long-time rival Lionel Messi has also appeared in six tournaments, the Argentine failed to score in the 2010 edition, leaving Ronaldo as the sole owner of the scoring record. However, Messi currently leads the all-time scoring charts with 18 goals compared to Ronaldo's 10.

The prospect of facing Messi

With Portugal near to securing their spot in the knockout stages, the narrative inevitably shifted toward a potential knockout stage showdown with Messi and Argentina. When asked about the prospect of facing his long-time rival, Ronaldo admitted it would be a special occasion but remained focused on the task at hand.

"I don't know how to answer that. But, well, it would be awesome. The most important thing was winning today and we did it," Ronaldo said.

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Chasing glory in the final act

Despite Ibrahimovic’s mockery, the former Real Madrid and Manchester United man remains focused on the collective effort as Portugal look to add a World Cup trophy to their 2016 European Championship title. Portugal are now aiming for a second win to ensure they top Group K with the ambition of beating Colombia in Miami in their final match. Portugal will hope their talisman can continue his scoring form.