Eden Hazard tipped Zlatan Ibrahimovic to keep making an impact in football after a 1-0 defeat to Belgium brought the star striker’s Sweden career to an end.
Sweden needed a win to keep their Euro 2016 campaign – and Ibrahimovic’s international career – alive, but Radja Nainggolan’s strike secured second place in Group E for Hazard’s side.
Ibrahimovic is widely expected to join Hazard in the Premier League next season with a move to Manchester United, and the Chelsea attacker thinks his opposite number will continue thriving.
“Zlatan is a big name in football. He has achieved a lot of things with Sweden, some great things,” Hazard said at a news conference.
“He will have wanted to stay in the tournament a bit longer, but it was our goal to progress.
“But he will always be a huge name in football. He can still achieve a lot of things at club level.”
Belgium will meet Hungary in the round of 16 and Hazard has stressed they should not underestimate the Group F winners.
“Hungary will be a complicated game,” the Belgium captain added.
“We watched the last bit of their match versus Portugal. They have some good players and always give 200 per cent.
“We expect a difficult game, but we have to be ready.
“We will see at the end of the tournament if we are indeed in the easy part of the schedule, without any favourites. But there are no easy games. We saw today that Ireland beat Italy.”
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