Ibrahimovic celebrates his return to the Swedish national team after being out of the Euro Cup due to injury

Disappointed at not being able to play in the Euro Cup due to an injury, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was happy on Monday to return to the Swedish national team to play in the decisive matches of the Nordic country’s Qualifiers for the Qatar-2022 World Cup.

“It feels really good. At last!” declared the Swedish star at a press conference ahead of Thursday’s decisive clashes against Georgia and Sunday against Spain, the Swedes’ opponents in the fight for the only direct spot at the Worlds .

At 40, Ibra shows exceptional longevity in top-level sport and was ready to play both games, but also cautious after the injury. “Every day I learn to get to know my body better. It’s getting older, but the head is getting younger and I’m getting more beautiful. Every day there are new things,” said the player with his usual sense of humor and ego in the heights.

After five years away from the Swedish national team, ‘Ibra’ announced his return in March, reaching two qualifiers for Qatar-2022. But a knee injury took him out of the Euro Cup, which he had to follow on television.

New physical problems kept him off the field until mid-October, but now the self-styled “King of Sweden” could be at the disposal of coach Janne Andersson. “Everyone wants to play, but I think I should have a balance in my playing time as a result of the injuries I’ve suffered. If I find the right balance, I should be able to play as much as possible,” he added.

Asked if he will be in the decisive match against Spain, the author of 62 goals in 118 games for Sweden left that responsibility in the hands of the coach. “I’m here because I’m a member of the team. If Janne wants me to play both (games), I’ll play them. If she wants me to play one, I’ll play one. It all depends on what Janne wants,” he said.

After six games played, Sweden is the first in group B with 15 points, two more than Spain.