(GROUP L:)
(Ecuador vs Sweden)
(Venue: BC Place, Canada)
(Date: June 19, 2026)
(Time: 20:00)
Ecuado vs Sweden, the final game of the 2026 FIFA World Cup's group stage matchday 1 encounter.
In the buildup to the game, fans joked that Sweden should bring Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to represent their country but of course, it didn't happen.
That didn't stop Zlatan Ibrahimovic memes from flooding the internet though. And somehow, the Sweden national team coach used that to his advantage in the psychological warfare involved in the buildup to the game.
According to the Sweden national team coach, the fact that Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be available in Canada to watch the game live was a direct guarantee that they would win the game.
Such superstition was bullshit, but well, who cares?
The fans loved the banter.
