Brazil's Charming Campaign to Get Zlatan Ibrahimovic to the World Cup

The fact that Zlatan Ibrahimovic — one of the world's greatest soccer players, but whose Sweden team did not qualify — won't be playing in the World Cup this summer is nothing less than a global tragedy

Even Ibra, never one for false humility, agrees. "One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch," he said after Sweden lost to Portugal last November to miss out on a trip to Brazil. (Watch the highlight video, above, and you'll see he has a point.)

There's no way Ibra can play in the World Cup — this thing has rules, after all — but many high profile Brazilians want him to come to South America, anyway. Some of Brazil's biggest soccer stars, celebrities and ordinary citizens alike star in the video, which has gained more than 700,000 views in two days on YouTube. Titled #VemIbra (translation: "Come here, Ibra"), it's quite charming Read more...