Zlatan Ibrahimovics amazing belief in USMNTs World Cup hopes underscores squads mindset

SEATTLE — The U.S.national team is convinced it can win the World Cup. Now the Americans are actually convincing others, outside their locker room. Others like Swedish icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic, serving as a pundit on Fox. Asked flatly Friday if the U.S.

were capable of winning its first World Cup, the former striker and serial winner had a frank, one-word response. “Yes,” Ibrahimovic said after the United States’ 2-0 victory over Australia that booked its advancement to the knockout round of 32. Of course, they are aiming higher.Far higher.

Having already clinched their group — for just the third time in their history — and doing it with a game to spare has raised the bar. Think going from a hurdle to a high jump.Winning the World Cup would be more like a pole vault.

But that’s the target — one they’re starting to get others to believe in, too. “I mean, that’s our mindset.I don’t think you enter this tournament to not have that mindset,” center back Auston Trusty said when told of Ibrahimovic’s praise.

Or was it a prediction? “But we’re taking it game by game, we’re focusing ourselves, and that’s all we can really do.To have him say that about us, that’s amazing.” Ibrahimovic knows a fair share about winning.

He earned 34 trophies in his career, though a World Cup was never one of them.The 44-year-old said the U.S.

has a shot to accomplish something his Swedish teams never could. “I said it before: Whatever happened before the World Cup is not as important as what happens now.Now is the momentum they have,” Ibrahimovic said.

“If you didn’t believe before, I will repeat: Start believing.Have the country behind them.” The U.S.

will close out Group D on Thursday at SoFi Stadium versus Turkey.But having already booked a knockout date versus a third-place foe has raised outside expectations to match their own. “Every game, every tournament we play in, we want to win,” center back Chris Richards sai...