Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar? Sweden loses to Poland
About Zlatan Ibrahimovic famous logic that “a World Cup without Zlatan is not worth seeing” is true, then we can all miss the World Cup 2022.
Backed by a biased audience at Stadion Śląski in Chorzów, Robert Lewandowski’s Poland took a place at the big event and eliminated Ibrahimović’s Sweden with a 2-0 victory with goals from Bayern Munich star and Piotr Zieliński.
After leading Europe in qualifying for the 2018 World Cup with 16 goals but failing to score in Russia when Poland crashed in the group stage, Lewandowski was once again one of the continent’s most productive with nine goals this cycle. It is difficult to see the 33-year-old go scoreless in Qatar.
He made clear clear from the spot early in the second half and Poland never looked back.
LEWA GETS A HUGE PENALTY FOR POLAND pic.twitter.com/t0RNQiTsiK
Poland was the more rested side after Russia’s disqualification put the Eagles straight into the playoffs, while Sweden had defeated the Czech Republic 1-0 after 120 minutes of action on Thursday. However, the Swedes produced the better openings in the first half when Alexander Isak, Robin Quaison and Emil Forsberg all forced Wojciech Szczęsny to saves while Isak and Quaison also nodded outside.
After just returning from a hamstring problem with AC Milan that has limited him to three extremely short substitutions in March, Ibrahimović was not expected to start on Tuesday after also missing the Czech Republic’s match by suspension.
Sweden’s first half was proof of Janne Andersson’s selection, and so it was understood why the 40-year-old was not produced during the break. Lewandowski’s penalty kick came in the 49th minute, however, and Andersson refused to turn to Ibrahimović.
Zieliński made it 2-0 on the 72nd and when Ibrahimović was brought in on the 79th it was far too late for him to reverse the trend.
Zieliński punishes Sweden for their blunder!
As it looks, Poland is on to the World Cup
(@espnplus) pic.twitter.com/axdt4gWUAn
– ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) March 29, 2022
If Sweden had taken advantage of a chance in the first half, it would have been a different story, but now all questions will focus on Andersson’s reluctance to bring out his country’s star attraction.
Ibrahimović will almost certainly retire now. He originally retired after the European Championships in 2016 but made a spectacular return in 2021 for a potential place in Sweden’s European Championships 2022 squad. But the injury kept him out of that tournament and in the end he never scored a goal in his five appearances after returning.