Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Sweden striker will not play at Russia World Cup
Last updated on .From the section European Football
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be coming out of retirement to play for Sweden at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The LA Galaxy and former Manchester United forward, 36, said recently he would attend the tournament but would not say in what capacity.
Swedish FA chief Lars Richt said: "I talked to Zlatan on Tuesday. He announced he did not change his mind about the national team - it is no."
Ibrahimovic retired from international football after Euro 2016.
The Swede, who also played for Ajax, Barcelona, Juventus and Inter Milan, scored 62 goals in 116 games for his country, and appeared at World Cups in 2002 and 2006.
And despite a knee injury plaguing his final season at Manchester United, he showed he still had form by netting a brilliant strike in his LA Galaxy debut last month after joining the Major League Soccer side in March.
Sweden qualified for Russia 2018 without him, beating Italy in a play-off to secure their qualification.
It will be the team's first World Cup since 2006 after missing out on the 2010 and 2014 tournaments.
