Zlatan Ibrahimović sitting in a tub of ice water trading jokes with Kevin Hart might sound like an unlikely pairing, but it’s actually the latest stop on a genuine American takeover the Swedish legend has been quietly building since this summer’s World Cup.
The ice bath itself comes from Hart’s long-running interview series “Cold as Balls,” where the comedian and a guest sit in adjacent tubs filled with ice, the cold is meant to strip away rehearsed answers and force looser, funnier conversation, essentially “Hot Ones” in reverse.
Running since 2018, the show has moved from Hart’s own Laugh Out Loud YouTube network onto Netflix, and Zlatan’s episode was filmed live in front of a crowd at Fanatics Fest in New York on July 18, 2026, before releasing as part of a seven-episode season on September 20.
He shares the season with a genuinely massive lineup, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Rob Gronkowski, Cooper Flagg, Sean O’Malley, IShowSpeed, and comedian Marcello Hernández, the first non-athlete ever invited into the tub.
One outlet summed up why Zlatan made the cut specifically, noting he supplies “the blunt personality and international reach associated with his soccer career.”
Icebath with @KevinHart4real pic.twitter.com/tyg8K5W6FR
— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) September 21, 2026
That reach into American pop culture didn’t start with the ice bath, though. It traces back to earlier this year, when FOX Sports brought Zlatan on as a studio analyst for the 2026 World Cup, a move FOX Sports president Brad Zager said was a genuine priority.
“He was at the top of the list of people we wanted to take swings at for this World Cup,” Zager said. Zlatan, in typically confident fashion, announced the news himself on X: “
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is going to be the BEST World Cup of All Time! I’m excited to announce that I will be joining Fox Sports in the United States this summer to cover the World Cup. You’re welcome, America. #ZLATANonFOX.”
It wasn’t his first time in the country either, he’d already spent two seasons playing for LA Galaxy in MLS between 2018 and 2019, giving him an existing foothold in American sport well before this year.
"Why be normal, when you can be the best?”
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) March 18, 2026
Arriving this summer… Zlatan joins FOX Sports' coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup for his TV analyst debut. #ZLATANonFOX | @Ibra_official pic.twitter.com/m8bhvJ0arb
Once the tournament kicked off, he leaned further into the role than just analysis. After the USMNT’s convincing group-stage wins over Paraguay and Australia, host Rebecca Lowe asked him live on air for a single word: could the United States actually win the World Cup? “Yes,” he said, going on to explain that the team’s sharp finishing, composed midfield play, and steady defending had genuinely changed his mind.
Coming from a player known for being difficult to impress, the moment stood out enough that fellow panelist Thierry Henry backed him up on set, drawing on his own experience winning a home World Cup with France in 1998.
Zlatan has spoken.@Ibra_Official gives a one-word answer on whether the @USMNT can win the FIFA World Cup pic.twitter.com/FUkm6vShb7
— FOX Sports (@FOXSports) June 19, 2026
Taken together, the FOX Sports role, the on-air USMNT endorsement, and now a Netflix ice bath alongside some of America’s biggest sports and entertainment names, all inside the space of a few months, make it clear the Kevin Hart appearance isn’t a standalone gimmick.
It’s the latest step in Zlatan positioning himself firmly inside American sports culture, on television, on social media, and now, quite literally, freezing in a tub for it.
