Zlatan Ibrahimovic was in tears after he announced that he has retired from the sport and received adoration from a full San Siro stadium.
The striker was present for AC Milan‘s Serie A season-ending win over Hellas Verona but was unable to participate due to injury. He was brought back onto the field after the final whistle. There he was greeted as a hero by the San Siro fans, his teammates, and the club directors.
The iconic AC Milan striker then gave an emotional farewell speech and was gifted a framed shirt by the club. It was all too much for the Swedish as he broke down in tears to announce his retirement.
Zlatan Ibrahimović:
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) June 4, 2023
"The time has arrived to say goodbye".
We will miss you, forever and 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐙❤️🖤
Good luck in retirement 👏 pic.twitter.com/vF0w3kCKU9
He said in his speech, “You welcomed me with open arms and I will be a Milanista my entire life. It’s time to say goodbye to football, but not to you. It’s too difficult, there are too many emotions. I’ll see you around if you are lucky. Forza Milan and goodbye.”
His retirement came as he has struggled to feature for the club as he suffered from long injuries. As he is now 41 years old as well, the club decided not to renew his contract and as such, Zlatan decided to call an end to a long, illustrious career.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic career stats
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a very good time on the pitch over the years. In over 24 years, he played for 9 different clubs. He made his professional debut at Malmo, where he scored 18 goals in three years, earning him a transfer to Ajax.
He then played for Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, and finally again at AC Milan.
He has racked up over 496 career goals for the above clubs in over 827 appearances. He also has assisted 204 times making him one of the best all-around strikers in the last two decades.
Zlatan Ibrahimović has scored a goal in every year since 1999 and in every possible minute of a 90-minute match.
— Squawka (@Squawka) June 4, 2023
◉ 988 games
◉ 573 goals
◉ 32 trophies
At 41 years old, Zlatan finally retires. 🦁 pic.twitter.com/ExUI59cZMY
With 62 goals in 121 appearances, Ibrahimovic is Sweden’s all-time leading scorer. He left the national team after Euro 2016 but returned in 2021 for their disappointing World Cup qualification campaign. He has the most goals in his career with PSG, scoring 156 times in 180 appearances.
Zlatan has scored in every year since 1999, his debut year for Malmo. This means he has played and scored a goal in four different decades. He is also one of three players to score in every possible minute of a match.
How many titles has Zlatan won in his career?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a very large trophy cabinet to showcase the numerous titles he has won in his long career.
FOOTBALL RETIRES FROM ZLATAN🦁
— 𝑯𝑫𝑹 ⍟ (@arsenalhdr) June 5, 2023
What a journeyman and what a personality. His whole persona will be unforgettable in the footballing game whilst conquering everywhere he plays. 819 games, 493 goals, 201 assists & 32 trophies.
Football will truly miss Zlatan🇸🇪#Zlatan pic.twitter.com/8JoaAuMYDU
In his career, he has won 32 trophies, making him one of the most decorated players in the world. He has won league titles in four different countries, in total winning 12 league titles. He won Serie A 5 times, including last season’s league triumph with AC Milan.
In addition to that he has won 18 domestic trophies in all of those countries. He has 2 European trophies, winning the UEFA Super Cup with Barcelona and the Europa League with Manchester United. He also won the FIFA Club World Cup with Barcelona, his only international club title.
Zlatan Ibrahimović’s career honours:
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) June 5, 2023
🏆 12 league titles
🏆 18 cup wins
🏆 2 European / World Trophies
One of the most 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 players of a generation. 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/rb4gr3yeol
Even if he played for several UCL winners, the trophy itself has always eluded Zlatan. For Sweden also, Zlatan has won nothing of major worth.
In 2013, he won the FIFA Puskas Award for a great overhead kick goal against England. He has won the Swedish Footballer of the Year award for 15 consecutive years.
Having scored all those goals and winning all those trophies, Zlatan finally closes his football chapter. He will be remembered as a great player and an all-time great as well.
