Zlatan Ibrahimovic Claims He Was a Better Striker Than Haaland: 'He Needs to Do a Lot More'

In recent years, Norway's Erling Braut Haaland has been heralded as Scandinavia's finest player. The Norwegian has frequently secured high positions in the Ballon d'Or rankings, though last year it was Viktor Gyökeres who took the title of best Scandinavian, finishing in 15th place.

During the World Cup opening broadcast on Fox Sports, where Zlatan Ibrahimovic serves as an expert, the question arose as to whether Haaland has already surpassed Ibrahimovic's level.

The Swedish legend had a definitive response. 'I am not certain about that. He must do a great deal more to reach the "freak of nature,"' Ibrahimovic stated in the studio.

When asked what Haaland needs to achieve to match Ibrahimovic's standard, Ibrahimovic replied:

'He scores goals and is a "killer" inside the box, but I was more multifaceted. I took pleasure in playing with the ball. He is a "killer" in the box, intelligent, and does what is required, but he does not exceed his capabilities. He does not expend energy on that,' he said, adding:

'I watched an interview with him, where he mentioned that his dream is to touch the ball twice and score two goals. In contrast, my dream was to touch the ball twice and score three goals.'

Haaland's Norway will face Iraq on Wednesday in their first World Cup match. During the group stage, the Norwegian national team will also compete against Senegal and France.