The rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo has defined modern football yet Zlatan Ibrahimovic has always placed himself in a different category.
And that belief resurfaced this week when a UEFA Champions League video went viral, showing former Barcelona star asked to speak only when a player he considered greater was mentioned.
Names such as Wayne Rooney, Didier Drogba, Sergio Agüero, Karim Benzema, Luis Suárez, Robert Lewandowski and Edinson Cavani came up in sequence but the Ibrahimovic did not react.
Even when the conversation ended with Messi and Ronaldo, the 573 goal Swede stayed silent a quite stark reminder of the confidence that carried the weight of his lifelong conviction.
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 2, 2025
A Glance at Zlatan’s Ibrahimovic career
Zlatan was criticised for staying silent as fans continue to argue endlessly over Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
They are considered by many as the two greatest players of their generation and are constantly debated as number one and number two with opinions forever divided on who truly deserves the higher place.
While swede may not be ranked alongside them in football’s absolute elite, it is difficult to argue his career remains nothing short of remarkable.
His career stretched across more than two decades and saw him succeed in nearly every major European league along with a stint in the United States.
He began at Malmo in before moving to Ajax in 2001, where he first gained international recognition with spectacular goals.
His path then led to Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and LA Galaxy before returning to Milan to finish his journey.
He scored 573 career goals across 987 matches and also contributed 216 assists. He collected 34 trophies in total, including league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France.