Ibrahimovic ends TV career as pundit immediately after the World Cup final

The expert trio at Fox Sports

After the final, which Spain won against Argentina 1-0 only in extra time, Ibrahimovic turned directly to the viewers from the studio and announced his departure. He said: „Ich habe die letzten eineinhalb Monate viel geredet - und das jetzt werden meine letzten Worte sein." He then added: „Das ist mein Abschied vom Studio. Dies war das erste und letzte Mal für mich."

When Lalas asked why he was ending his TV pundit career after just one engagement, Ibrahimovic answered with a brief commitment to the right moment: „Man muss aufhören, wenn man an der Spitze ist." He repeated the reasoning later in another sentence and also stressed: „Der Fox-Sports-Job aber wird eine einmalige Sache bleiben."

Farewell with clear words

During his farewell, Ibrahimovic also addressed words of thanks to his colleagues in the studio. „Es war eine große Freude, das Studio mit euch zu teilen", he said in the direction of Lalas, Henry, and moderator Lowe. The broadcaster had deployed the trio as a fixed lineup throughout the tournament.

The 2026 World Cup was held as an expanded "XXL" tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The final took place in East Rutherford, where Ibrahimovic had his last appearance as a TV analyst. With the final whistle of the match, his so far only engagement as a paid television pundit also came to an end.

The personnel situation raises questions about the future of the broadcast lineup. Fox Sports had secured a prominent name in the Scandinavian striker for the World Cup, intended to deliver strong ratings. Whether the broadcaster will seek a comparable solution for upcoming major events remains open.

A one-time engagement

Ibrahimovic himself had already stressed before his departure how much he had enjoyed the work in the studio. With his reference that this had been „das erste und letzte Mal" for him, he ruled out a return to a comparable role at least for the near future. Should he speak publicly in the future, it would likely be in other formats.

Overall, the key takeaway: the Swede's appearance was designed as a short-term guest stint, not a permanent solution. With the end of the World Cup, the chapter of Ibrahimovic as a TV pundit at the US broadcaster Fox Sports also comes to a close.

For the world governing body FIFA and the host nations USA, Canada, and Mexico, the focus with the end of the tournament is meanwhile on the transition to post-tournament coverage. The media attention surrounding the finals was enormous, not least because of the polarizing appearances in the studio.