5 Kits That Defined a Career: Zlatan Ibrahimovic | OneFootball

Everywhere he went, he made his mark. These are five kits that defined Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s career.

“When you buy me, you are buying a Ferrari. If you drive a Ferrari you put premium petrol in the tank, you hit the motorway and you step on the gas.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is endlessly quotable and unmistakably memorable, whether you hate him or love him. Supremely confident, perhaps to a fault, Ibrahimovic is a polarizing figure in the world of football, especially when he was at the peak of his game. While I don’t agree with most of his egotistical side, you can’t deny that he was one of the best strikers to ever lace them up.

From Ajax to both sides of Milan and beyond, Zlatan was defined by conquest. He was a domineering presence matched with incredible skill and talent. A specimen, who stood up on the world stage, talked the talk and walked the walk right after it.

Throughout his career, you can pinpoint each iconic moment by a shirt as well. Whether it’s winning Scudettos or scoring overhead kicks from 30 yards out, Ibrahimovic was an all-volleying kung-fu master of football. What makes it even better is that he had a well-traveled career, and got to wear some pretty beautiful kits too. All of that makes him the perfect candidate for the next installment of our 5 Kits That Defined a Career series.

Inter 2008-09 Home

Photo by New Press/Getty Images

This was one of Ibrahimovic’s most dominant seasons on a personal level. He scored 25 goals in Serie A, making him Capocannoniere in a season where Inter finished 10 points clear at the top of the table. It would be his final season at the Nerazzurri as he departed Milan for Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona in the summer, and we all know what happened there.

The shirt itself was a simple black and blue Nike template with a gold Pirelli sponsor, fitting for a club that had won two Scudetti on the bounce and was aiming for a third.

Barcelona 2009-10 Home

Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Inter sold Zlatan to Barcelona, with the club paying €40 million plus Samuel Eto’o for the Swede. It’s well documented how bad this decision was for both club and player. Eto’o and Inter won the treble in their first year together, while Ibrahimovic clashed with Guardiola and forced his way out of the club after one season.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for Zlatan in Barcelona, though. While he called Guardiola a “spineless coward,” and compared his management to putting diesel fuel in a Ferrari, Barcelona won the league, the Supercopa, the European Super Cup, and Club World Cup in his lone season in Catalonia. While it’s marred in controversy, this blaugrana-striped shirt tells a crucial story that can’t be separated from Ibrahimovic’s career.

Sweden 2012 Home

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

If you ask any football fan to name a Zlatan Ibrahimovic goal, the majority will reference his legendary overhead kick against England in 2012, in this very kit. It was a true spectacle that defined what and who Zlatan was. It’s made even better given he scored four goals that evening to sink England to a 4-2 loss. Incredible. A truly special evening, one etched in football history. The overhead kick was a symbol of Zlatan’s style. Charismatic, daring, but most importantly, assured.

The kit itself was lovely, too. A yellow base with blue pinstripes and a nice, unique collar. It was made by Umbro, as well, England’s most famed football brand.

PSG 2014-15 Home

Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images

A big portion of Ibrahimovic’s career was spent in France with PSG. He was the Emperor of Paris, transitioning the club into a powerhouse alongside the likes of Edinson Cavani, Thiago Silva, and Marco Verratti. He won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles as PSG dominated the scene in France. PSG won a domestic treble in 2014-15, and Zlatan scored 30 goals from 37 appearances in all competitions.

This is the kit you think of when talking about Zlatan and PSG. Typical blue but with thinner center stripes in red and white. “I came like a king, left like a legend,” Zlatan said about his time at PSG. With those kits, he dressed like one, too.

Milan 2021-22 Home

Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images

Manchester United fans are probably sitting screaming at their device, asking why I haven’t included one of their shirts. Well, I just couldn’t leave out his time back at Milan in 2021-22.

After suffering a torn ACL during his time in Manchester, many had written Ibrahimovic off, citing his age and the seriousness of his injury. And while most footballers would have gladly rode off into the sunset with a career like Ibrahimovic’s, he’s not most footballers.

A short stint in MLS with the LA Galaxy was a return to form for Zlatan, and he was able to return to Milan and help secure the Rossoneri’s first league title in 10 years. The special part? He was 40 years old. The Swede revitalized the Milan side both on the pitch and behind the scenes, playing an integral part throughout.

A leader, motivator, and a person for players to be inspired by, Ibrahimovic was key for Milan and the return of a Scudetto to the club. His second stint at the club goes down in Italian football history and marks a point in his career where longevity and immortality were prominent.

Zlatan’s career was certainly not straightforward. He conquered most of Europe, from the Netherlands to France. And he did it wearing some iconic kits. His legacy lives on and in our heads; the kits he wore define a career steeped in success. A legend of the game, that’s for sure.