For nearly 2 long decades, Zlatan’s man bun has been as recognizable as his outrageous goals, karate-kick volleys, and explosive personality. So, when the Swedish striker suddenly posted about going bald with Tom Brady shaving his head, the internet correctly lost its mind
The post captioned “ A bet is a bet” was posted on his social media with Tom Brady, the NFL Legend, shaving Zlatan’s head bald. The audience was left in shambles as to what the bet must’ve been that Zlatan himself had to get his head shaved, after all, Zlatan never loses a bet, a bet loses to Zlatan.
A bet is a bet @TomBrady pic.twitter.com/h9mGxahquN
— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) May 5, 2026
As it turns out, the post was connected to a larger campaign by Fox Broadcast for the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which the United States of America is set to host.
The advertisement, titled “Miracle” opened up with a 97th-minute corner kick being taken by Christian Pulisic. The audience goes silent as he rockets the kick into the goal directly from the corner. The victory of the USA in the World Cup quickly takes the country by a hurricane. Streets are flooded with Americans as they celebrate the historic victory.
As the iconic story rises, fans start embracing football. One scene shows a man replacing a bobblehead with one of the U.S soccer legend Weston McKennie while a child puts up a large poster of Tim Weah, looking at it with a glimmer.
The scene switches to Tom shaving Zlatan’s head and addressing the victory by saying “told you we’d win” while Zlatan digests the impossible victory.
Texas has seemed to run out of beer as citizens overjoyfully celebrate their homeland finally laying hands on the trophy. The ad further shows a crowded Times Square with a man dressed as the Statue of Liberty and waving flags of the team showing their support for the players who gave it their all on the field, both mentally and physically.
Elvis Presley’s “Impossible Dream” is the sheer cherry on top for the ad. The melody elevates the ad further by gelling the victory elements and how impossible it seemed before they achieved it. Fresh sheets of US currency get minted with Weston on the dollar bills
Suddenly, we are shifted to the present with two friends discussing the World Cup. “What!? You think the US is going to win the World Cup?” one asks. “It could happen,” his friend scoffs. The camera shifts to the US Hockey legend Mike Eruzione saying, “You don’t believe in miracles” a message directed to not only to those young boys but to the people sitting in America, instilling hope into them instead of letting them carry the disbelief of USA not being able to even qualify further in the cup.
“The 2026 World Cup is going to be an event unlike anything this country has ever seen before – more teams, more matches and it’s happening right here in our own backyard on America’s 250th birthday. We couldn’t think of a better way to capture the American spirit and this celebratory moment than dreaming of what it might look like if the US won it all,” said Robert Gottlieb, president, marketing, FOX Sports.
‘Miracle’ made its network premiere Saturday, May 2nd in Major League Baseball programming on FOX. Fans are encouraged to keep watching FOX Sports for the next instalments of the campaign rolling out in the coming weeks.
USMNT midfielder Tyler Adams added, “Michael Strahan is a New York sports legend, and it would be amazing to be mentioned alongside him. That’s what success in a World Cup can do, and we’re excited and proud to represent the United States in front of our own fans here at home.”
“Zlatan is a good sport, and I had a blast filming the promo,” said Tom Brady. “Everyone will be watching the World Cup this summer, and I can’t wait to see what our US team can do when they compete against the best in the world.”
From Thursday, June 11th through Sunday, July 19th, FOX Sports will be America’s official English-language home for FIFA World Cup 2026.
The commercial was made not just to promote the upcoming World Cup in a country where the word football itself means a different sport, but to make it all about culture. To make it an occasion as America celebrates it during their 250th year of freedom. The culture to get together as one and watch their country go head-to-head with some of the best in the World Cup. It is not just another World Cup but instead an opportunity for the fans to soak into the football culture and truly feel what it feels like when your team hits a goal in the dying minutes of a match and to hold the trophy and TRULY be the best in the world.
