When it comes to legendary goal-scorers, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s name is certainly in the conversation. The Swedish striker, who hung up his boots in 2023 at the age of 41, netted 580 goals across a remarkable 24-year career, ranking him 14th on the all-time scoring list.
Only a select few players have outscored Ibrahimovic, who made his mark in some of the world’s top leagues. With his incredible ability to find the back of the net and his vast experience, Ibrahimovic is more than qualified to weigh in on who he believes is the greatest player in soccer history.
Having played for elite clubs like Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, and Manchester United, and boasting over 30 titles, Zlatan’s opinion carries significant weight in the soccer world.
While many would expect him to choose iconic figures like Pelé, Diego Maradona, or modern-day stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, the Swedish star took a slightly different route, but one equally deserving of recognition, as he chose Ronaldo Nazario.
Ronaldo of Brazil (left) is in posession of the ball from Olaf Thon of Germany. Mark Thompson/Allsport
“For me, Ronaldo is football. The way he moved. For me, he’s the best player in history, without a doubt. I always followed him and admired him because he did things with the ball that we all wanted to do,” Ibrahimovic said in an interview with UEFA, expressing his admiration for the Brazilian legend.
Ronaldo Nazario names his greatest soccer players
In a 2022 interview with The Guardian, Brazilian icon Ronaldo Nazário reflected on the history of soccer and named his top eight players of all time. “I believe there’s a very special group where you have Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer, Pelé, Marco van Basten, Ronaldinho… I include myself,” said Ronaldo, notably leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out of his list.
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Despite his personal opinion, Ronaldo acknowledged that it’s all subjective and left room for fans to weigh in: “Let the fans decide, let them debate it in the bars. But you can’t rank them, you can’t compare generations,” he concluded.
