DON'T MISS A MOMENT OF THE WORLD CUP

Your all-access pass to scores, live updates, and insights

Explore Getty | Alex Labidou | Jul 01, 2026 06:44+08:00

'Think he's hilarious' - USMNT star Christian Pulisic loving Zlatan Ibrahimovic's viral World Cup TV turn

USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina | USA | Bosnia and Herzegovina | World Cup | Z. Ibrahimovic | C. Pulisic

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic was never short on bold opinions as a player, and retirement has done little to quiet him. Now working as part of FOX’s World Cup coverage, the Sweden icon has become a viral presence on the studio desk, thanks to his blunt assessments and verbal sparring with former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas. Christian Pulisic, who knows Ibrahimovic well from AC Milan, has been watching along - and enjoying the show.

Getty Images Sport

'I think he does extremely well'

Pulisic, who spoke to the media after wrapping the USMNT's training ahead of their match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, offered his review of Ibrahimovic - who currently works at Pulisic's club team as a special adviser after starring there for years.

"I think he's hilarious," Pulisic said Tuesday. "Obviously, I've gotten to work with him a lot too. He's a really good guy, but just listening to him and knowing his personality, I think he does extremely well."

Zlatan's takes

Ibrahimovic has been getting a ton of attention for his recent takes and on-air clashes, including calling out the Dutch on Monday after their disappointing penalty defeat to Morocco.

"This defeat is [Ronald] Koeman's fault because I didn't recognise this Dutch team. He lost with an identity that is not the Dutch identity. That makes me angry," he said. "I was always taught: attack, attack, attack. This is not the Dutch identity. Today, Koeman looked like an Italian coach, playing not to lose, whereas the Netherlands always play to win. If you lose, at least lose with your own identity and don't change it."

"This wasn't the Netherlands I'm used to seeing. You could also tell by the way they played that they didn't feel comfortable. The possession was gone, the attacking football was gone... It just looked really bad, and that was all on Koeman. I didn't like it at all, absolutely not."

Koeman resigned from his position Tuesday. Ibrahimovic has also gotten headlines for his on-air rivalry with Alexi Lalas as shown in the video below:

Getty Images Sport

Pulisic ready to go

After playing in a cameo appearance against Turkiye last week, Pulisic is expected to be close to full fitness and start against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.

What comes next?

The USMNT play in the Round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. GOAL's Ryan Tolmich contributed reporting from PayPal Park in San Jose.