IShowSpeed went viral during coverage of the 2026 World Cup after Zlatan Ibrahimovic jokingly fired him from FOX Sports for predicting Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal would win the tournament. Thierry Henry’s astonishing reaction quickly became an internet meme. Despite the hilarious dismissal, Speed doubled down on his support for Ronaldo. The player also attracted attention after giving an interview to FIFA President Gianni Infantino during the tournament.
IShowSpeed walked onto the set of the FIFA World Cup on FOX Sports anticipating another raucous soccer debate. Instead, the player ended up being played as a joke by Zlatan Ibrahimovic after he made a bold prediction for Cristiano Ronaldo which instantly exploded across social media.The viral moment occurred during coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup when Speed joined Zlatan and Thierry Henry on the pitch. What started as a casual conversation quickly turned into chaos after the streamer enthusiastically backed Portugal and Ronaldo to win the tournament.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic removes IShowSpeed from FOX Sports desk after Ronaldo prediction
During the interaction, Zlatan turned to Speed and asked him and his live audience which country they thought would win the FIFA World Cup. The answer came immediately from the 21-year-old content creator, who has never hidden his admiration for Cristiano Ronaldo.“Portugal! Ronaldo wins the World Cup.”The football legends sitting next to him clearly did not like the response. Zlatan grabbed the FOX Sports microphone out of Speed’s hand and threw it onto the desk before asking him to leave the set. Meanwhile, Thierry Henry reacted with a facial expression that quickly became one of the most talked about moments online.
Henry looked stunned as Speed continued to defend Ronaldo and Portugal.
The former Arsenal and Barcelona striker looked almost speechless as the broadcaster doubled down on his predictions in front of the cameras.Although the clip looked intense at first glance, fans later noticed Zlatan smiling as Speed walked away from the desk. These details convinced many viewers that the entire exchange was playful banter rather than a serious confrontation.Even after the group left, Speed refused to back down. He continued asking viewers to wait and watch Ronaldo lift the World Cup before heading deeper into the stadium to interact with fans and other personalities around the venue.The clip went viral across X, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, garnering millions of views within hours. Football fans particularly enjoyed the contrast between Speed’s high confidence and Henry’s muted reaction next to Zlatan.
Thierry Henry’s reaction and World Cup moments in IShowSpeed are getting fans talking
A large section of fans online focused more on Thierry Henry than Zlatan himself. Social media users turned Henry’s reaction into memes almost immediately, with many joking that the French legend appeared emotionally exhausted after hearing another emotional argument from Ronaldo.Others defended Speed for remaining loyal to Cristiano Ronaldo despite being surrounded by football legends who seemed unconvinced of Portugal’s chances. The moment also sparked debate over whether Ronaldo would finally be able to win the FIFA World Cup before the end of his international career.
This wasn’t the only headline-grabbing interaction involving speed during the tournament. The player also spoke with FIFA President Gianni Infantino after the United States beat Paraguay 4-1 in their opening match.When asked which teams look stronger so far, Infantino praised the American side and said:“Listen, I think we’ve seen one of the strongest teams in the World Cup here. They (the USMNT) are looking very good. I’m very impressed, for sure.”As the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues, Speed finds himself caught up in viral football moments. Whether he’s defending Ronaldo, debating with football legends, or interviewing key figures from the tournament, the streamer continues to dominate online conversations off the pitch.
