1. Ibrahimovic commented on Japan's elimination after their bitter defeat against Brazil :
“Football can be very cruel sometimes. Today, Japan is out of the 2026 World Cup, but they can hold their heads high. They pushed Brazil to their limits, made their opponents suffer, and forced one of the greatest footballing nations in history to fight until the very last second. No one can take that away from them.”
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| The sadness of a Japanese fan after their team's defeat to Brazil in the round of 16. Photo: AP |
I don't want to hear anyone call this a failure. Failure is when you don't give your all. But these players gave everything. They ran, they fought, they believed, and they represented their country with immense pride. Sometimes football rewards you, but sometimes it breaks your heart. Today, football broke the heart of Japan.
I saw tears after the final whistle, and those tears said it all. They truly cared. They believed they could make history, and for a long time, they showed they were perfectly capable of doing so. This result is painful, but their performance deserves respect from the entire football world .
If Japan continues to produce players with this kind of spirit, this certainly won't be the last time they surprise football powerhouses. Throughout the tournament, they have shown courage, discipline, and character. Today, they lost a match, but they have earned the respect of millions of football fans around the world.”
2. Anyone who says Messi relies solely on "natural talent" should read this article.
Thierry Henry revealed:
"I witnessed Messi's early days practicing free kicks. He would often come to training, and his free kicks weren't good at all. I used to think: This kid will never become a free-kick specialist!"
But diligence, even for the most exceptional individuals, is the key to everything. That's what people often don't understand: Talent is important, but you still have to work hard to develop it. This kid always comes in, practices free kicks, hits the wall, misses... but he practices it every day.
And now, most of his free kicks either result in goals, hit the post, or force the goalkeeper to make saves.”
3. Messi shares about a "100-year-old Messi fan":
"When I saw her in the stands, I really had to try to hold back my emotions. In that moment, football seemed to disappear. No more stadium, no more noise, no more pressure, just emotion."
A woman who lived through a century, through wars, generations, and countless world changes... and yet she was still there, smiling and holding my name in her hand. I don't even know how to describe that feeling.
That brought back memories for me: my first steps in football, my childhood dreams, and the sacrifices my family made for me. Somehow, after all these years, my name has reached someone like her. It's truly overwhelming.
I don't deserve that kind of affection. No player deserves it. Because this goes far beyond football. It's a love that's nurtured over a lifetime, not just a fleeting moment.
I looked at her and wished time could stop for a moment, so I could express my gratitude fully. Not as a player, but as a person who understands how precious and rare it is to be loved for so long.
There are goals that create a sensation, titles that dominate the headlines. But this is something entirely different. It's a pure and unconditional connection between two lives that never thought they would meet, but ultimately found each other through football.
If I could give her anything, I wouldn't give her a shirt or a photograph. I would give her her time. Because the fact that she dedicated a part of her life to supporting me is something I will cherish forever.
When I retire, I'll probably miss nights like this more than anything else. Because after all, football isn't about records. Football is about hearts connecting without a word.
And in that moment, I realized something very simple: I wasn't just competing for titles. I was also competing for people like her.”
Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/the-thao/worldcup-2026/world-cup-2026-hay-nghe-cac-danh-thu-noi-1046992
![[Image] National conference summarizing one year of operation of the overall organizational model of the political system, the three-tiered government model.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/07/01/1782882811691_ndo_br_1-jpg.webp)
