Greg . 6 hours ago

Ibrahimovic sends show of support to Holmberg after missed penalty costs Sweden

Zlatan Ibrahimovic offered some words of support to teenage defender Smilla Holmberg after her miss in Thursday's penalty shootout terminated Sweden's Euro 2025 campaign in the quarter-finals following an astonishing beat by England.

Sweden were beaten 3-2 on penalties after 18-year-old Holmberg fired her effort high over the obstruct in an incredible shootout that contained 14 players taking spot kicks.

Holmberg exploded into tears after her miss as she led support towards her crestfallen teammates but Swedish hero Ibrahimovic reached out to offer some comfort.

"It was a sad daughter I gripped in my arms over an hour after the game," Holmberg's father Ola Persson told Swedish radio on Friday.

"She is strong and she has received a lot of support from both the team, supporters, friends and relatives, she even obtained a text message from Zlatan here this morning.

"Sweden's record goalscorer for the men's team is part-owner of Holmberg's Stockholm club Hammarby and the 43-year-old messaged the young defender to tell her to take the next penalty, and the next one, and to keep believing in herself.

"The most important thing is that no-one defines a career by those misses; in fact, it's the opposite, you have to expand in those situations," Persson said.

Check out the match report from Thursday's game with Betopick.