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Zlatan Ibrahimovic appeared to have brought his brief stint in football punditry to an end following the World Cup final, as the former AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain forward announced: “This was the first and last time for me.”

The ex-Sweden international was part of Fox Sports’ expert panel during the World Cup, joining fellow analysts Thierry Henry — a World Cup winner with France — and former United States international Alexi Lalas, under the moderation of host Rebecca Lowe.

Throughout the tournament, the dynamic among the trio drew plenty of attention, with Henry and Ibrahimovic often aligning in their opinions while Lalas frequently took a contrasting stance. One particularly intense exchange occurred between Henry and Lalas after the contentious decision to overturn Folarin Balogun’s suspension.

At 44, Ibrahimovic quickly became one of the most popular personalities in the broadcaster’s coverage. However, he appeared to signal that his debut in punditry would also be his last as he concluded his remarks following the six-week-long tournament.

“I have been talking a lot for the last one-and-a-half months but these will be my last words,” Ibrahimovic said near the end of the World Cup final broadcast. “Alexi, thank you. Thierry, thank you. Rebecca, thank you.”

He continued, “It has been an absolute pleasure to share this studio with you all — you have made it very easy for me. I also want to thank Fox, America, and everyone behind the scenes.

“I hope that America enjoyed it as much as I did. This is my farewell to the studio. This was the first and last time for me. So, take care, everybody.”

Ibrahimovic enjoyed a glittering playing career, scoring goals and capturing titles with Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United before retiring from professional football in 2023.