Surely one of the greatest footballers of all time, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has entertained, stunned and enraged us all over the years. Whether it’s the outrageous bicycle kick he scored against England, or his El Clasico winner for Barcelona, Ibrahimovic stands tall in football history.
Now with over 570 goals under his belt, a record only surpassed by Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Ibrahimovic looks to the future. At 40 years old, what kind of life will this maverick live beyond football?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Malmo FC to AC Milan
Ibrahimovic started off his footballing career at Malmo FC in 1999, before moving to Ajax two years later. There he scored one of his all time greatest goals. Skilfully weaving through five players before netting the ball, Ibrahimovic drew comparisons to Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane. Eurosport viewers voted it their Goal of the Year.
After his stint at Ajax, Ibrahimovic moved to Juventus for $16 million. Immediately slotting into the first team, he scored 16 goals and Juventus finished top of Serie A. Ibrahimovic won Serie A Footballer of the Year for his incredible debut season. His characteristic agility, athleticism and power are on full display in this monster goal against Benfica:
Ibrahimovic then went on to play for Inter Milan, where he won Serie A Footballer of the Year again. He became top goalscorer of the 2008-9 season, with 26 goals to his name. In one of the world’s most expensive transfers, Ibrahimovic moved to Barcelona, before returning to Italy for AC Milan. There he won the 2010-11 Serie A title yet again.
Ibrahimovic continued his career in flying form at PSG, where he was top scorer for three seasons. In 2015, he became PSG’s top scorer of all time. Since then, he’s played for Manchester United and LA Galaxy, before returning to AC Milan. As Sweden’s all time top goalscorer with 62 goals, Ibrahimovic has made over 100 appearances for his national team.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: multicultural polyglot
Ibrahimovic was born in Malmo, Sweden, to a Muslim Bosniak father and Catholic Croat mother who both emigrated there. Ibrahimovic did not have an easy upbringing. When his mother got arrested for handling stolen goods, social services intervened. Ibrahimovic went to live at his father’s house at the age of 9. With a fridge full of beer and nothing else, he often went hungry and got involved in petty crime.
However, this tough upbringing made Ibrahimovic the player he is today. Filled with grit and determination, he never backs down from a challenge. “In his position, 99 guys out of 100 would have gone under, but he used his anger to make himself better,” says his biographer.
Ibrahimovic’s talents stretch beyond just football. He received an honorary black belt in Taekwondo, and boasts fluency in five languages: Swedish, Bosnian, English, Spanish and Italian. Known for his intelligent wit and charming arrogance, Ibrahimovic’s interviews are notorious among fans.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic considers life after football
Now 40, Ibrahimovic’s footballing career is coming to an end. With the World Cup in sight, he has one at least one more season in him. But what happens after then?
Ibrahimovic believes in himself and his talents. The sky is the limit for Zlatan, who has floated the idea of becoming an actor. With his unique brand of charisma, it’s not hard to imagine him on the big screen.
“I have faith in everything I’m doing. How far I will go, I can’t tell, but I always try to go beyond the limit. Why be normal when you can be stronger? For the future, we will see. I’m curious about certain things: for example, to become an actor… Something that gives me adrenaline,” he says. With his life on the pitch coming to a close, let’s see how he’ll get his buzz back.
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