Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Presenting the top moments from his illustrious career
Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his retirement from football after his contract expired with AC Milan. The Swedish marksman was easily one of the best players to grace the game. Ibrahimovic's aura and attitude always kept him connected with the fans. He was quite a journeyman and won accolades with almost all of his teams from all over Europe and beyond. Here are his top moments.
A Champions League debut to remember!
Ibrahimovic made his UEFA Champions League debut with Ajax in 2002. Winning the Eredivisie allowed them to play in Europe's top-tier competition. However, the match was memorable because he made an ever-lasting impact on the night with his goal-scoring ability. The youngster scored a brace in Ajax's 2-1 win over Lyon. This is how he announced himself on the biggest stage.
A decisive goal in the El Clasico
Ibrahimovic didn't have the best time at Barcelona but did win the La Liga title with the Catalans and had a significant impact. He won the title in the 2009-10 season and scored the solitary goal in the El Clasico that Barcelona won 1-0. Later, they went on to win the league by three points above Real, proving the importance of that goal.
The Puskas award-winning goal against England
The 41-year-old Swede is known for his ability to score goals from anywhere on the field. He has scored an array of jaw-dropping goals throughout his career. His most memorable one came against England in a friendly match. It was an overhead kick from a distance that bamboozled then-England goalkeeper Joe Hart. He won the Puskas Award for that goal in 2013.
A memorable debut for LA Galaxy!
After plying his trade in Europe for many teams, Ibrahimovic went to the USA to feature in Major League Soccer. There, he played for LA Galaxy, and his debut was simply unforgettable. He came up with a stunning long-range volley to equalize the score in the derby against LAFC. He later slammed home the stoppage-time winner to announce his arrival in the MLS.
A spectacular 500th career goal
Ibra is one of the greatest strikers of this generation and joined the elite club of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo when he surpassed 500 career goals. His 500th goal was a memorable one. With LA Galaxy losing 3-0 against Toronto, Giovani dos Santos lifted the ball toward Ibrahimovic, who managed to lift his leg high enough to karate-kick the ball home.
