Zlatan Ibrahimović appeared to bid farewell to Fox Sports after the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, suggesting his time in the network’s studio was a one-tournament experiment.
“You made it easy for me. I hope, America, you enjoyed it as much as I did, and this is also my farewell to the studio,” Ibrahimović said at the end of Fox’s postgame coverage.
“It is?” Fox host Rebecca Lowe asked.
“This was the first and last time for me, so take care, everybody,” Ibrahimović continued.
Zlatan Ibrahimović: “And this is also my farewell to the studio.”
Rebecca Lowe: “It is?”
Zlatan: “This was the first and last time for me. So, take care, everybody.” ⚽️📺🎙️ #WorldCup #Fox pic.twitter.com/yj63Vpth4v
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 19, 2026
Ibrahimović was identified as Fox’s top talent by Fox Sports president Brad Zager when building out the studio team ahead of the tournament in March. The Swede had never worked in television before the World Cup. He was generally praised for his performance, with some comparing him to Inside the NBA panelist Charles Barkley.
Overall, Fox’s studio team was not universally lauded, but much of the criticism landed on the sole American on the panel, Alexi Lalas. That led some to speculate that Ibrahimović and Frenchman Thierry Henry disliked Lalas.
But that didn’t seem to be the case as Ibrahimović signed off. He took the time to personally shake hands with and thank each member of the studio team.
“It has been an absolute pleasure to share this studio with you guys. You have made it very easy for me,” Ibrahimović added.
If Ibrahimović is truly done with Fox, that would be a blow for the network. While it’s not clear which U.S. network will televise the next World Cup, Fox will air major soccer tournaments in the near future, including the 2027 CONCACAF Gold Cup and UEFA Euro 2028. Fox has an interest in making those tournaments feel like major events, and keeping a similar studio panel together could help accomplish that.
Of course, this could all be a leverage tactic for Ibrahimović. And his most common sports analyst comparison in Barkley, for example, has talked about walking away from television many times in the past, yet keeps going strong.
Zlatan understands leverage. https://t.co/3PW1AtEktp
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) July 19, 2026
After Ibrahimović’s strong performance in the World Cup, there will be many networks, both in and out of the United States, interested in employing him in the future.
About Manny Soloway
Manny Soloway is a Iowa based writer focusing on TV ratings. He is also the founder of the TV Media Blog substack.