Zlatan, Thierry Henry On Spain’s World Cup Victory: ‘Football Won Today’

by Margaret July 19, 2026

July 19, 2026 6 views

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Following Spain's 1-0 victory over Argentina in the World Cup final, the FOX Sports duo of Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thierry Henry praised Spain's tactical execution and defensive performance, which limited Argentina's offensive output throughout the game.

Ibrahimović emphasized that Spain's victory was a positive result for the sport due to the commitment to the team's own style of play. He noted that teams attempting to play soccer with finesse often face criticism if they fail to win, but Spain proved sticking to its approach helped secure a championship.

"Football won today," Ibrahimović said. "The way they play football, the way they played in this tournament — when you watch football, this is what you want to see."

Ibrahimović also highlighted Argentina's lack of offensive production during the final, credited to the tournament's top defensive unit.

"Today, Argentina, they had zero shots on goal," Ibrahimović said. "Best defense in the tournament? Spain, and the right team won. … You asked me before the tournament, I said Spain is going to win. When I say things, things happen."

Henry focused on Spain's defensive structure and its ability to quickly regain possession when losing the ball. He compared Spain's current system to his previous experience playing for Barcelona, where off-the-ball pressing was central to the team's success.

"The best team won," Henry said. "This team, what they do off the ball is what impresses me. You cannot almost put three passes together and when you stop to do that, they get the ball back. If you don't have the ball … you can't score."

Henry also noted the broader success of European nations in the tournament, pointing out that three European teams reached the semifinals.

With this victory, Spain secured both the European Championship and the World Cup title in succession for the second time, becoming the third team to do so, joining West Germany (1972 Euro, 1974 World Cup) and Spain (2008 Euro, 2010 World Cup). Spain is also now the first nation to have both its men's and women's soccer teams as reigning World Cup champions simultaneously.