14/05/2014 19:19
Brazil stars start viral video in bid to get Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the WC
Zlatan Ibrahimovic may be a part of the World Cup after all, thanks to a host of Brazil stars joining forces to invite the striker to their country during this summer's tournament.
Sweden's World Cup play-off defeat to Portugal back in November meant Zlatan would miss out on this summer's World Cup, leaving football fans across the globe massively disappointed.
However, Brazil international Dani Alves and a number of former Samba stars including Ronaldo (the original), Denilson, Bebeto and Rai, have come together to create a viral video begging Zlatan to jump on a plane to South America ahead of the finals which kick off next month.
A host of former players and Brazilian celebrities have joined the 'VemIbra' movement, which translates into 'Come Ibra', in a bid to get the Paris Saint-Germain talisman to the world's biggest football competition and it seems to have done the trick!
The 32-year-old former Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan striker must have seen the viral and took to Twitter to suggest the pleas may have worked in convincing him to travel to the World Cup as fan.
Posting a picture of himself on the social networking site on Tuesday evening, Ibrahimovic tweeted: 'Brazil! I think I’ll have to change my vacation plans.', followed by a cheeky wink.
The viral begins with a host of Ibrahimovic's goals for PSG this season as well as Cristiano Ronaldo's strike for Portugal against Sweden which ended Zlatan's hopes of playing in this summer's World Cup.
Repeating Zlatan's claim: 'A World Cup without me is not worth watching,' the video then pans to Barcelona right back Dani Alves playing a tambourine whilst singing a song begging Ibrahimovic to visit.
A grinning Denilson, who was once the world's most expensive player when he signed for Real Betis in a £21million deal back in 1998, is next to appear and tells Zlatan: 'You've got the Brazilian style - you have to come see the World Cup!'
Ronaldo, a hero of Ibrahimovic's, then makes his plea. Giving a thumbs up, the former Real Madrid striker says: 'Ibra come see the World Cup'.
Other ex-Samba stars including Rai, Bebeto and Vampeta also plead with Zlatan to travel to their country for the World Cup.
Felipe Andreoli of 'Desimpedidos' ends the video asking fans to help spread the word and says: 'We already have the tickets. Now we just need Ibra here.
'In order to reach him we need your help. Use the hashtag on Twitter.'
Ibrahimovic seems keen to be part of the football carnival in Brazil and so it will be interesting to see if he manages to attend as the host nation kick the tournament off against Croatia on June 12 in Sao Paolo.
Brazil and the rest of the world are hoping Zlatan makes it.