The awe-inspiring legacy of Ibrahimovic's greatness _ Football Update News

In 1999, at the young age of 17, Zlatan Ibrahimovic embarked on his career at his hometown club, Malmo. Despite only scoring one goal in his first six matches, he left a strong impression. At the time, Arsenal's manager, Arsene Wenger, extended a trial invitation which was ultimately turned down. "Zlatan didn't participate in trial sessions," he stated. Ibrahimovic remained at Malmo until 2001, netting a total of 18 goals in 47 appearances for the club.

In the summer of 2001, Ibrahimovic made a move to Ajax for a transfer fee of $9.5 million. The Dutch club served as the catalyst for propelling his career to new heights.

During his time at Ajax, Ibrahimovic showcased a rare finesse and technical prowess for a player standing at 1.95 meters tall. He scored an impressive 48 goals in 110 appearances for the club, winning two Eredivisie titles, one KNVB Cup, and one Johan Cruyff Shield (Super Cup of the Netherlands).

Euro 2004 marked Ibrahimovic's true introduction to global football fans. In the 85th minute, he scored a remarkable back-heel goal against the Italian national team, securing a 1-1 draw for Sweden. As a result, Sweden and Denmark advanced hand in hand to the quarterfinals, while Italy suffered an early elimination in the group stage.

Reaching the quarterfinals of Euro 2004 stood as Ibrahimovic's finest achievement with the national team. His goal was later voted by UEFA as the tournament's most beautiful.

In the summer of 2004, Ibrahimovic made a move to Juventus for a transfer fee of $18 million. He scored 26 goals in 92 matches for "La Vecchia Signora" (The Old Lady) and won two Serie A titles. However, due to the Calciopoli scandal, the court later stripped Juventus of these two titles.

In the summer of 2006, following Juventus' relegation, Ibrahimovic moved to Inter Milan for a transfer fee of $27 million. He scored 66 goals in 117 matches for the black and blue-striped team, winning three consecutive Serie A titles and two Italian Super Cups. What left Ibrahimovic's fans most regretful was his departure in 2009, just before Inter clinched the treble that season.

In the summer of 2009, Barcelona exchanged Samuel Eto'o plus $73 million to acquire Ibrahimovic. However, Spain proved to be an unfavorable ground for the Swedish striker. He became a substitute player, despite scoring 22 goals in 46 matches and winning one La Liga title, one UEFA Super Cup, one FIFA Club World Cup, and two Spanish Super Cups. This led to conflicts between Ibrahimovic and coach Pep Guardiola, and later on, he openly criticized his former mentor on multiple occasions.

A year after joining Barcelona, Ibrahimovic revived his career by moving to AC Milan on a loan deal. Similar to his time at Inter, he once again had a disappointing run in the Champions League, as Barcelona won the title shortly after his departure. However, Ibrahimovic had no regrets about returning to Italy. In his two seasons with AC Milan, he scored 56 goals in 85 matches. He also won the Serie A title in 2010-2011 and the Italian Super Cup in 2011.

In Euro 2012, Ibrahimovic continued to shine with the Swedish national team. In the 2-0 victory over France, he scored an incredible bicycle kick to open the scoring. Despite his stunning goal, Sweden did not advance to the quarterfinals. However, Ibrahimovic's goal was recognized as the second most beautiful goal of the tournament, showcasing his exceptional skills once again.

At the end of 2012, in a friendly match between England and Sweden, Ibrahimovic scored an incredible overhead bicycle kick goal from outside the penalty area. This goal earned him the title of the Best Goal of the Year and the prestigious Puskas Award, voted by FIFA a year later. The goal showcased Ibrahimovic's extraordinary skill and cemented his place as one of the most talented and remarkable footballers of his generation.

In the summer of 2012, Milan sold Ibrahimovic to PSG for a fee of 22 million USD. With a salary of 15.5 million USD per season at the French club, Ibrahimovic became the second-highest-paid player in the world after Samuel Eto'o.

He scored an impressive 156 goals in 180 appearances for PSG, including an outstanding season in 2015-2016 where he netted 50 goals in 51 matches. Alongside PSG, Ibrahimovic won four Ligue 1 titles, two Coupe de France trophies, three Coupe de la Ligue titles, and three Trophee des Champions. He became a champion in his fourth country, following his successes in the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain.

Answer: The call from manager Jose Mourinho led Ibrahimovic to join Manchester United in 2016. The transfer was completed on a free transfer. At the age of 35, Ibrahimovic proved that he still had the class to shine. The Swedish striker scored 29 goals in 53 matches, playing a key role in Manchester United's triumph in the Europa League, EFL Cup, and FA Community Shield.

In March 2018, Ibrahimovic made a free transfer from Manchester United to LA Galaxy. He scored 53 goals in 58 matches for the American club. His strong physicality and high goal-scoring efficiency laid the foundation for his return to Europe.

In December 2019, Ibrahimovic returned to rescue AC Milan. In the latter half of the 2019-2020 Serie A season, he scored 10 goals in 18 matches, helping the club finish in sixth place. Ibrahimovic remained at AC Milan until his retirement at the end of the 2022-2023 season. During his second stint with the red and black stripes, he scored 37 goals in 78 matches.

On March 18, 2023, Ibrahimovic scored a penalty goal against Udinese, becoming the oldest player to score in Serie A at the age of 41 years and 166 days.

In total, Ibrahimovic has scored 511 goals in 866 club matches and 62 goals in 122 international matches. In terms of team achievements, he has won 32 titles.