Due to his illustrious career, many wonder the teams Zlatan has played for. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the most well-known football players in modern history. Zlatan has established himself as one of the top players in the world thanks to his outstanding physical attributes, exceptional ball handling ability, and unparalleled confidence. He has played for some of the most well-known teams in football history during the course of his lengthy and accomplished career.
The teams Zlatan has played for during his professional career is 10 including the national team. This is an impressive feat, but for a player of his calibre, it is expected.
We shall examine Zlatan’s teams in more detail in this article, along with the effects he had on each of them.
Table of Contents
Here are the teams Zlatan has played for throughout his career
- Malmo FF
- Ajax
- Juventus
- Inter Milan
- Barcelona
- AC Milan (first spell)
- Paris Saint-Germain
- Manchester United
- LA Galaxy
- AC Milan (second spell)
- Sweden national team
Malmo FF (1999 – 2001)
Zlatan began his professional football career with the Malmö FF, a local Swedish team. At barely 17 years old, he made his club debut in 1999, and he soon cemented his position as a key member of the squad. Zlatan scored 18 goals in 47 games during his two seasons with Malmö FF, helping the team win the Swedish title in 2001. His achievements caught the eye of clubs all around Europe, and he quickly obtained a transfer to Ajax.
Ajax (2001 – 2004)
In 2001, Zlatan moved to the Netherlands and signed a three-year contract with Ajax. He had a big effect right on, scoring 13 goals in his debut season to help Ajax win the Eredivisie. Zlatan’s stint at Ajax was distinguished by both his extraordinary talent and flair with the ball and his sporadic outbursts of petulance.
His connection with the club deteriorated towards the conclusion of his tenure as a result of his infamous disagreements with Ronald Koeman, the team’s coach. Despite this, Zlatan’s on-field accomplishments were sufficient to catch the interest of some of Europe’s top teams. During his spell with the Dutch side, he bagged 48 goals and 17 assists in 110 appearances.
Juventus (2004 – 2006)
Zlatan moved to Juventus in 2004 for a sum of €16 million. He played with the Italian powerhouses for two seasons, making 92 appearances; he scored 26 goals, assisted 20 and contributed to the team’s two Serie A championships. Juve’s involvement in the Calciopoli scandal led to the team losing their championships, thus Zlatan’s tenure there was not without controversy. Even though Zlatan was not personally involved in the controversy, he nonetheless made the decision to leave the club in 2006.
Inter (2006 – 2009)
The following step for Zlatan was to sign a four-year contract with Inter Milan in 2006. After making 117 appearances for the club, he rapidly made a name for himself as one of the top players in the world, with 66 goals and 30 assists. With Inter, he won three Serie A championships and received the Serie A Footballer of the Year award twice.
Zlatan’s exceptional ball handling skills and his propensity for scoring from apparently impossible angles made him stand out during his time at Inter. He formed a striking partnership with Brazilian striker Adriano and together, they were a lethal striking duo that helped Inter dominate Italian football for several seasons.
Barcelona (2009 – 2010)
Zlatan controversially relocated to Barcelona in 2009 in a transaction costing €69 million. In addition to Lionel Messi and Xavi, his new club already included some of the finest players in the world. Zlatan, however, had trouble adjusting to Barcelona’s style of play and quarrelled with Pep Guardiola. He made 46 appearances for the club, scoring 22 goals and provided 13 assists, but after just one season, he was traded to AC Milan.
AC Milan (2010 – 2012) – first spell
Zlatan joined AC Milan on loan from Barcelona in 2010 and he became an instant hit. He contributed to the team’s Serie A championship in 2011 by tallying 21 goals in 45 appearances. In 2011, he signed a new, long-term contract with AC Milan, and stayed there for another season, making 32 appearances and tallying 28 goals.
Zlatan’s stint at AC Milan was distinguished by his extraordinary physical prowess and his capacity to score from all directions. He and fellow striker Robinho formed a striking partnership that was crucial to AC Milan’s success when they were both playing. His performance at Milan during this period led to a big move to Ligue 1 powerhouses, Paris Saint-Germain, where he gained further reputation for his goal-scoring abilities.
Paris Saint-Germain (2012 – 2016)
Zlatan signed a €20 million contract with Paris Saint-Germain in 2012. He soon established himself as a crucial member of the French team, scoring 156 goals and 61 assists in 180 games, and leading them to four Ligue 1 titles. Zlatan’s tenure at PSG was distinguished by his extraordinary reliability and his ability to score goals in nearly every game. He had a strong combination with Edinson Cavani, a fellow striker, and Marco Verratti, a midfielder, and the three were crucial to PSG’s reigning supremacy in French football at the time.
Manchester United (2016 – 2018)
Zlatan moved to Manchester United as a free agent in 2016. He became an important member of the English team quickly, scoring 28 goals in 46 games and leading them to EFL Cup and Europa League trophies. Zlatan’s time at Man. United was distinguished by his outstanding physicality and his ability to score goals in nearly every game.
He and midfielder Paul Pogba forged a strong relationship that contributed significantly to Manchester United’s success. During his time there, he scored 29 goals while assisting a further 10 in 53 appearances before leaving to join MLS side, LA Galaxy.
Read about the capacity of Old Trafford here.
LA Galaxy (2018 – 2020)
Zlatan joined LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer in 2018. He scored 56 goals and assisted a further 15 in 58 games for the team – he easily won the heart of American fans. His remarkable physicality and his capacity to score goals from nearly any position on the pitch made Zlatan a standout during his time with the MLS giants. He teamed up with fellow striker Cristian Pavon.
AC Milan (2020 – Present) second spell
Zlatan went back to AC Milan in 2019 on a free transfer. He returned to the Italian club and soon cemented himself as a key member. As at now, he has scored 37 goals in 78 appearances for Milan, helping them to a Copa Italia and Serie A success. Zlatan’s second stint at AC Milan was distinguished by his tremendous physicality and knack for scoring goals practically whenever he had the chance.
However, Zlatan’s second spell, especially this season has been hindered by injuries. In 2022-23 season so far in the Serie A, he has only started one league game. Regardless of his frequent absence this season, the team has the likes of Rafael Leao, Olivier Giroud and Brahim Diaz to count on.
National team – Sweden (2001 – now)
Zlatan made his debut for the Sweden national football team in January 2001. However, he announced his retirement from the national team in 2016 after the Euro tournament. In an interesting turn of events, he was called up this year back to the Sweden national team. Although Sweden has lot of attacking options in Alexander Isak, Dejan Kulusevski and Anthony Elanga, his experience will be pivotal to whatever the team wants to achieve. Currently, Zlatan has scored 62 goals in 122 caps for Sweden.
Final Thoughts
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has represented some of the most illustrious football clubs in history, and his influence on each of these squads has been nothing short of extraordinary. Zlatan has continually demonstrated that he is one of the top players in the world, from his early years with Malmö FF to his present tenure at AC Milan; playing for nine top professional clubs is no small feat.
He will be remembered as one of the greatest football players of all time because of his amazing physicality, talent with the ball, and ability to score goals from practically any position on the pitch. Even at age 41, he continues to play top level football for one of the best team in the world.
Unfortunately, due to the domination of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi during his prime, he was never able to win a Ballon d’Or. Also, he is one of many top players to have never won the UEFA Champions League.
