Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Background

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a Swedish footballer whose skills and confident personality have set him apart from the pack. Born in Malmo, Sweden, his father was a Muslim immigrant from Bosnia, while his mother was a Catholic Croatian immigrant. Ibrahimovic is of Swedish nationality and a Libra by design. He had a rough upbringing and often had to shoplift in order to eat. He began playing football at age six and was close to quitting by 15. However, the manager of his hometown club, Malmo FF, convinced him to keep on playing. Growing up with soccer as his refuge and passion, Ibrahimovic loved Ronaldo and had his pictures all over his room.

Ibrahimovic signed his first contract in 1996. It was with his hometown club, Malmo FF. By 2001, a transfer deal worth $8.8 million was initiated by Ajax, and he officially joined the team. In September 2002, Ibrahimovic made his Champions League debut and scored twice in the 2-1 victory against Lyon in the group stage. Soon after, he moved to Juventus in a $17 million deal. There, he led the team also known as La Vecchia Signora to the top of the Serie A and through the Champions League, where they reached the quarter-finals before succumbing to Liverpool. At the end of his first season in Italy, Ibrahimovic was awarded Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year. By 2006, the striker signed a $25 million four-year deal to move to Inter Milan. He debuted for the ‘Black and Blues’ in August that year at the Supercoppa Italiana, playing the full 90 minutes. In September 2007, Ibrahimovic played his 100th Serie A match, and in May 2008, he scored both goals in the 2-0 victory over Parma. That season, he scored 17 goals in 26 league matches and was named ‘Serie A Footballer of the Year.’ Ibrahimovic moved on to join Barcelona in 2009 in a five-year contract worth $47 million. There, he played beautifully alongside the likes of Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, and Pique in what has been considered by soccer experts as one of the greatest lineups of all time.

Ibrahimovic’s career features several transfers after his Barcelona era. He played for AC Milan from 2010 to 2012, PSG from 2012 to 2016, Manchester United from 2016 to 2018, LA Galaxy from 2018 to 2019, and AC Milan again, where he has remained since 2020. Ibrahimovic is Sweden’s all-time leading goalscorer, and there he has received endless awards, including 12 Golden Ball prizes. Ibrahimovic is an entertaining footballer and personality. He is known for his outspoken comments and peak confidence, and has often been heard referring to himself in the third person. As a footballer with colossal success, Ibrahimovic shares his life with his longtime partner, Helena Seger, and their two sons.