Soccer's Darling

14th March 2018

"Zlatan Ibrahimovic" by l3o_ (CC BY-SA 2.0)

"I can't help but laugh at how perfect I am."

Clearly, the one thing that Zlatan Ibrahimovic does not lack in is self-confidence. But who can blame him? After helping Manchester United win the EFL Cup in 2017 by scoring the winning goal, his popularity has never been higher.

It's not as though he's just a one-hit wonder either. He has built up a huge fanbase by delivering the goods time after time. With 420 goals scored in a total of 723 games, his strike rate is impressive, to say the least.

Should he rediscover his form after the hideous injury he suffered last season, you are bound to see him come up a few times as a favorite to open the scoring in any of your preferred betting apps.

At the very least, you can be sure that a game that he plays in is going to be exciting. Sometimes controversial, there really doesn't seem to be a middle-ground with Zlatan. From slapping opposing players to scoring the game-winning goals in the final few minutes, there are no half measures here.

Love him or hate him, you have to admit that he has earned his reputation as one of the world's leading soccer players. You wouldn't be able to get anything else past his legions of fans.

Though of Swedish descent, his strongest fan base is in soccer-mad Brazil which is a little ironic because he is a huge fan of Brazilian player, Ronaldo.

According to the legend of Zlatan, he has won a trophy in every season he has played since the start of his career in 2001. It is an impressive and somewhat intimidating record if you are new on the soccer scene.

Currently, the striker is trying to get back to his best for Manchester United, after suffering a career-threatening injury.

Football isn't the only game this legend is interested in playing, though. He is also a fan of video games – making substantial investments in Challengermode and the Swedish game studio Isbit.

He's also branched out into sportswear, launching his brand A-Z Sport in 2016. Prior to this, he had launched his range of vitamin drinks, Vitamin Well Upgrade, proving that he has an eye for diversified investments.

Is he a larger than life character?

Well, certainly – he compares himself to a finely-tuned high-priced sports car.

Does he often spark controversy?

Naturally – his record speaks for itself – he's known to be a bit of a hothead at times.

Does he look good in red?

That pretty much depends on whether you are a Man U fan or not. If not, you would probably prefer to see him off the field than on. If you are a fan of the Red Devils, you probably agree that red looks pretty good on Zlatan.

For the moment, he seems unstoppable. Despite injury or illness, he gets the job done and the fans love him for it.

Where will it end? Who knows – for now we all get to enjoy the ride and wait with baited breath to see what shenanigans he gets up to both off the field and on it.