Sweden defender and captain Andreas Granqvist said on Monday that Sweden deserved their spot in the round of 16 at the World Cup for coping without Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ibra 36, retired from international football after UEFA Euro 2016, having scored 62 goals in 116 appearances for his country to become Sweden's all-time leading scorer.
"The spirit of the team hasn't changed, nothing has changed actually, except for the fact that we've lost one of the world's best players. We've laid the foundation with the head coach, we've proved to be a strong team. Ibrahimovic is a serious loss. But it's not for nothing that we've made it to the last 16," Granqvist said.
International news source
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