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Zlatan Ibrahimovic has delivered a forthright message to Argentina, cautioning that Lionel Messi cannot be expected to single-handedly carry the national team, even with his extraordinary performances at the World Cup. The Inter Miami captain showcased his brilliance once again during Argentina’s thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Egypt, but Ibrahimovic insists that his teammates must shoulder more responsibility to ease the pressure on their talismanic leader.

Ibrahimovic praises Messi’s beast-like spirit

Messi reaffirmed his legendary status by driving Argentina to a stunning turnaround against Egypt in the World Cup round of 16. Trailing 2-0 in Atlanta, the skipper initiated the comeback by providing an assist for Cristian Romero, then netted the equaliser himself before Enzo Fernandez sealed the win in stoppage time. Ibrahimovic, who once shared a dressing room with Messi at Barcelona, admitted he was in awe of the 39-year-old’s determination and intensity.

Speaking to Fox Sports, Ibrahimovic observed a marked shift in Messi’s mindset as Argentina faced elimination. “You could see something change. He flicked a switch after it was 2-0. He turned into an animal, and no one could stop him,” said Ibrahimovic. “You can see what it means to him. He’s already won everything, however many Ballon d’Ors he has, but he still wants more.”

A wake-up call for Argentina’s supporting players

Even as Argentina celebrated the emotional victory — with a teary-eyed Messi embraced by his teammates — Ibrahimovic had stern words for the rest of the squad. The Swedish icon warned that the reigning champions are relying too heavily on their veteran captain, who continues to outperform players much younger than him. Messi currently tops the Golden Boot standings with eight goals, edging ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland, both on seven.

Ibrahimovic stressed that Argentina cannot depend solely on their number 10 in every knockout encounter. “To be a bit critical, his teammates need to rise to the occasion and support him more,” he added. “He’s operating on another level. If Messi keeps playing like this until the end, no one will be shocked. But he needs help.”

Thierry Henry joins the chorus of admiration

Thierry Henry, who appeared alongside Ibrahimovic during the broadcast, was equally impressed by Messi’s ability to defy age and expectations at the highest level. The Inter Miami forward’s tally of 21 World Cup goals has now eclipsed that of Miroslav Klose, while he maintains a lead over French sensation Kylian Mbappe, who has 19. Henry compared Messi’s remarkable journey to a cinematic masterpiece that feels almost unreal.

“If someone wrote that story, you’d think it was the kind of film that couldn’t exist in real life — one where the director went overboard,” Henry said during the post-match discussion. “But Messi writes those stories himself. He writes history with his feet.”

Following the comeback against Egypt, Messi’s international record now stands at an incredible 125 goals in 204 appearances for Argentina.

Focus shifts to the quarter-finals

Argentina now prepare for a quarter-final clash against Switzerland in Kansas City on Saturday. The Swiss advanced after edging Colombia in a tense penalty shootout and will pose the next challenge for Lionel Scaloni’s men as they aim to defend their world title. Messi acknowledged the team’s resilience after their hard-fought comeback, commending his teammates for their never-say-die attitude.

“It got difficult at 0-2, and it was thrilling to turn it around,” Messi said post-match. “It’s not easy to come back from two goals down, but this group never stops fighting until the end. What we did today in this knockout stage is unbelievable.”

If Argentina overcome Switzerland, they could face either England or Norway in the semi-finals, setting up another high-stakes encounter on their road to glory.