'You don't have God': Ibrahimovic believes Mbappe & Messi not enough to lift Ligue 1 alone

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made a bold claim about Ligue 1's 'downfall' as he has claimed that even top stars like Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar are not enough to lift France's top division. The 41-year-old believes that Ligue 1 has declined since he left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in 2016 as they do not have 'God' anymore.

Ibrahimovic explains why Ligue 1 has declined

While speaking in an interview with Canal Plus, Zlatan Ibrahimovic said, "Since I left France, everything has gone downhill. There is nothing to talk about anymore in France. France needs me, I don’t need France. Even if you have Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, it doesn’t help you because you don’t have God."

It is pertinent to note that Ibrahimovic has made these comments despite the star PSG trio taking Ligue 1 by storm. For two consecutive matches, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar have all found the back of the net for PSG, who currently have a comfortable five-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's future

As for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he is currently sidelined for the rest of 2022 after having surgery on his left knee in May that would keep him out of action for at least 7-8 months. Despite the repeated struggles because of his age, the 41-year-old has repeatedly insisted on his desire to return to competitive action because he is 'scared to stop' playing.

While speaking on the Italian talk show Che Tempo Che Fa last year in December, Ibrahimovic said, "I want to play as long as possible. As long as I have that adrenaline, I will continue. Let's put pressure on Milan here to give me an extension and I hope to stay at Milan for life. I still have objectives that I can achieve and I want to win another Scudetto."

Since his interview last December, Ibrahimovic not only won the Serie A title with AC Milan earlier this year in May but also got a contract extension at the San Siro for a year until the end of the 2022/23 season. While elaborating on why he is scared to stop playing football, the Swedish international explained, "I don't know what will happen after football, so I am a little scared to stop. We'll see, but I want to continue playing so I don't have any regrets."

With Ibrahimovic unlikely to return to competitive action until the new year, it remains to be seen how long the 41-year-old can continue playing football.