‘The cable had a better performance than Noni Madueke!’ - Zlatan Ibrahimovic savages performance of England winger against Norway as Arsenal star is replaced at half-time

England secured their spot in the semi-finals thanks to a brace from Jude Bellingham, but the performance of Madueke left much to be desired in the eyes of Ibrahimovic. The former Chelsea man was handed a start on the right flank in the absence of the unfit Bukayo Saka, but he failed to seize his opportunity in Miami, leading to a brutal assessment from the former AC Milan striker.

Speaking on Fox Sports' coverage of the knockout tie, Ibrahimovic did not mince his words regarding the 24-year-old’s output. "[The hydration break] changed [the dynamics] a little bit because Jude Bellingham has been the most active player for England," Ibrahimovic noted. "But I think they’re playing with one player less so far Madueke has been on the pitch, I have to say every time he gets the ball he makes the wrong decision, and he’s walking on the pitch."

The match was mired in controversy when the ball appeared to strike a spidercam cable just before Bellingham's equaliser. While Norway protested the interference, Ibrahimovic used the bizarre incident to further twist the knife into Madueke’s disappointing display.

"Even in the hydration break didn’t help him. He’s played but he’s not started every game, they [England] started with one guy less. But if the ball touched the cable, then the cable had a better performance than Madueke, for sure," Ibrahimovic joked.

Ibrahimovic was so convinced of Madueke's lack of impact that he called for an immediate substitution while the teams were still in the tunnel. "If I’m Tuchel, I change him because he’s done nothing this first 45," Ibrahimovic stated during the break. His tactical advice mirrored the reality on the ground, as Thomas Tuchel opted to replace the winger with Saka before the second half commenced.

The England boss seemed to share the frustration regarding the general performance levels, despite the eventual victory. While Bellingham's heroics booked a date with Argentina, the struggle to integrate Saka's deputy effectively remains a headache for the German coach as the Three Lions move closer to the final.

Despite the Swedish legend's taunts, the official word on the camera cable incident was definitive. While the Norwegians felt aggrieved by the officiating, world football's governing body stood by the decision to let the goal stand, citing the high-tech sensors embedded within the match ball that track every movement and impact.

FIFA Media released a statement clarifying the situation: "Before England's goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the connected ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball." While the tech cleared the cable, nothing could clear Madueke from Ibrahimovic’s scathing review of his Miami nightmare.

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