Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a Swede who plays for AC Milan, is 41 years old and is still producing at a high level. Zlatan, the highest goal scorer for the Swedish national team with 62 goals, is a realistic goal striker.
Ibrahimović’s Personal Life
Sefik Ibrahimovic and Jurka Gravic, two Muslim Bosnian immigrants, welcomed Zlatan Ibrahimovic into the world on October 3, 1981, in Malmo, Sweden. The family lacked essentials and lived in abject poverty. Even worse, Zlatan's parents split up when he was only two years old. Nevertheless, the family could make enough money to give Zlatan a good upbringing while he was growing up.
Zlatan began playing football when he received a set of football boots for his birthday at 6. That was in the late 1980s, and as Zlatan grew older, he continued to develop physically and mentally to play for his country's team in the future.
He was a bully at school and engaged in thefts, which he subsequently admitted to and claimed he committed because he was fascinated with bicycles and would steal them anytime he had the opportunity.
Zlatan began playing for Malmo BI and FBK Balkan as a youngster. He began participating in the local club Malmo FF games as a teenager. Despite his skill at the sport, he could not support himself and decided to give it up at age 15 to work at the docks. His boss pushed him to keep going, and the rest is history.
His Career
Ibrahimovic made his professional debut for Malmö F.F. in 1999, and the following year, he assisted the team in making a move up to the top flight. The 6'5" attacker then joined the illustrious Dutch club AFC Ajax where he refined his formidable skills as a member of two championship-winning squads but also earned a reputation as a volatile player.
Ibrahimovic joined Juventus F.C. after spending four years at Ajax and helped the Italian team win two Serie A titles. Ibrahimovic forced a transfer to A.C. Milan before Juventus was stripped of those titles after club management was accused of rigging games in the infamous Calciopoli incident. The tall striker enjoyed more success, winning three straight Serie A championships and his first league-scoring crown in 2009.
Ibrahimovic, acquired by F.C. Barcelona in a trade involving Samuel Eto'o, shone for a talented team that won the Super Cup and the league. Still, he fell out with manager Pep Guardiola and spent the next season on loan at AC Milan.
The seasoned striker showed he still had more to give by winning his third scoring title with a career-high 30 goals after joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 and helping the team win its first Ligue 1 championship in 19 years.
Ibrahimovic joined Manchester United in 2016, and in 2017 he assisted the English team in winning the UEFA Europa League Final.
The club announced in March 2018 that it had ended the senior player's contract, enabling him to move forward with his intention to sign with the L.A. Galaxy in the United States.
Ibrahimovic responded by posting the following on Instagram: "After two incredible seasons with Manchester United, it is time to move on because even the best things come to an end. Thank you to everyone who shared this chapter of my history with me, including the club, the supporters, the players, the coach, and the staff."
