SUMMARY
- Zlatan Ibrahimovic is considered one of the greatest strikers of all time.
- Previously, Zlatan Ibrahimovic made the comment that soccer would be missing him.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of soccer’s biggest icons. The Swede mesmerized the soccer fans with his unorthodox ways of scoring goals. He was known for his elite mentality and perseverance on the soccer pitch. A serial winner, the 42-year-old won 32 senior titles during his playing career.
Welcome to Zlatan’s World Cup.#KingsWorldCup pic.twitter.com/YfGL86VteO
— Kings League World (@_KingsWorld) March 11, 2024
The 42-year-old retired from professional soccer in 2023 after a prolonged battle with injuries. However, it seems like the Swede has too much love for soccer to leave the sport for good. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back at soccer, but this time he has a former teammate alongside him.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic joins Gerard Pique in the Kings World Cup
Gerard Pique’s Kings League was a huge revelation in the world of soccer in 2023. It introduced some new rules to the game during the tournament that attracted the fans. Kings League had unlimited subs, sin-bins, and 40 minutes of electric and intense soccer games. Many former stars of the game, such as Sergio Aguero, Ronaldinho, Andrea Pirlo, Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, etc., took part in the soccer tournament.
The tournament is returning in 2024, with a larger ambition this time. Gerard Pique is launching a King’s World Cup in Mexico that would see 32 teams compete for the ultimate prize. The Spaniard has invited Zlatan Ibrahimovic to partner with him on this journey. The 42-year-old is the new president of the King’s World Cup.
“¿Llevas mi corona en el bolsillo o es que te alegras de verme?” pic.twitter.com/V3jEbTVLMN
— Kings League InfoJobs (@KingsLeague) March 11, 2024
The Swede will likely hand the winning prize of $1 million to the winning team in the final. The King’s League released a video to make the association with Zlatan official via a video posted on X.
The video features the 42-year-old sitting on a throne, where he reminds soccer fans about his titles. The Swede rightfully boasts about the fact that he has scored over 500 goals and won over 30 titles in his career. Zlatan proclaims, “I don’t miss football, football misses me.” The Swede announced in the video that he was the “king of kings”.
The Kings League also made a hilarious post that referred to a huge controversy involving a photo of the League’s founder Gerard Pique and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The picture was taken when Zlatan and Gerard were teammates at FC Barcelona. While the two looked innocent in the picture, the Spanish media had spread rumors about the two players’ sexuality based on their posture in the viral picture.
It would be interesting to see how Zlatan Ibrahimovic manages his presidency of the league. He has already joined in an advisory role at his former club AC Milan and has now agreed to take up a huge responsibility in the King’s World Cup as well. The Swede joins Al Hilal star Neymar Jr. on the King’s World Cup celebrity list, who would own a team at the 2024 Kings World Cup.
Unlike Zlatan, soccer has gotten over the Swede
The former Paris Saint-Germain soccer player proudly announced in the King’s World Cup announcement video that he doesn’t miss soccer at all. Instead, Zlatan believes that the sport itself cannot seem to forget the Swede. It is true that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has cemented his place as an icon of the game. However, to call himself the king of kings of soccer will be an over-exaggeration, in our opinion.
In truth, many of the new-generation soccer players possess similar traits to the former FC Barcelona striker. Hence, Zlatan is wrong in saying that soccer misses him when the youngsters have carried on his legacy in the game.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was known for his supreme technical ability and physical prowess. The Swede has rarely shrugged off the ball, and the defenders found it difficult to tackle him. Besides this, some of the acrobatic goals that the 42-year-old has scored seem extra-terrestrial. However, it would be wrong to assume that Zlatan’s qualities are exclusive to him.
Many soccer players who have graced the soccer pitch after the Swede have shown glimpses of the same qualities. Manchester City’s 23-year-old striker Erling Haaland makes a perfect example of the case.
The Norwegian has used his brute force to make himself one of the most astute strikers in the Premier League. Like Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Erling Haaland is also a very animated figure on the pitch who is never afraid of contesting a decision with the referee. A very passionate figure on the pitch, Haaland is yet another copy of the Swede when it comes to confronting opponents on the pitch.
And some of the goals that the 23-year-old has scored would definitely remind soccer fans of Zlatan. It is true that it would be practically impossible for somebody to replicate the Swede’s 30-yard overhead kick against England in 2012.
However, Erling Haaland, too, has scored some great overhead kicks in his career. One of the prime examples is the goal against Southampton in the 22/23 season.
While Erling Haaland is still quite some distance away from equalizing Zlatan’s career goal record of nearly 500, it seems that he will soon break the record if he continues his impeccable scoring record.
Another soccer player who does not let soccer miss Zlatan Ibrahimovic is probably Alexander Isak. A fellow countryman of Zlatan, Isak has showcased his talents at Newcastle United on the big stage.
The 24-year-old has incredible dribbling technique, and added to that is his tall height, which helps him dominate the defenders in duels. Even Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a terrific dribbler during his playing days, especially during his AFC Ajax days.
Alexander Isak is carrying on the legacy of Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the Swedish national team pretty well. However, the 24-year-old’s 10 goals for his country are still a long way away from breaking the former Inter Milan striker’s record of 62 goals.
Darwin Nunez has also earned his shot to be called a copy of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Liverpool striker, like the Swedish, has a very unorthodox way of playing soccer.
Yet, just like Zlatan, Darwin Nunez is also very effective in front of the goal. The Uruguayan striker, too, is very physically strong and is very calm and composed while finishing off his chances.
An absolutely breathtaking assist from Alex Isak. 🤤🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/NTO1AzoZBQ
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) April 27, 2023
Rasmus Hojlund, too, makes a good case due to being of Scandinavian descent. And just like Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the 17/18 season, Rasmus too arrived at Manchester United in 2023, when the ‘Red Devils’ dearly needed a striker. The 21-year-old has started playing according to his true potential and looks to be on the course to match the Swede’s greatness.
So, we have analyzed the reasons why the next generation of soccer players has allowed the fans to forget about Zlatan Ibrahimovic. But by no means does it undervalue the Swede’s greatness. The 42-year-old teared up the soccer world at a time when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were in a two-horse race of soccer dominance. The Swede will forever be known as a rebel in the game who liked to live by his own rules.
