Swedish-born Zlatan Ibrahimovic may play soccer in the shadow of Hollywood, but he’s certainly not a household name in the United States. At least not yet. The LA Galaxy forward made his mark playing throughout Europe, where a combination of controversy and spectacular play made him an international superstar. Following a serious knee injury and lack of playing time with Manchester United, Ibrahimovic signed with the Galaxy in 2018 for $1.4 million, a 95-percent pay cut from the $27 million he made with his English club, according to CNBC.
While his play speaks for itself, Ibrahimovic isn’t afraid to do a little talking himself. In fact, Bleacher Report said the Galaxy team was “perhaps signing the greatest showman the sport has ever seen.” In true Zlatan fashion, he made a splash before even playing his first game in L.A., taking out a full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times that read simply: “Dear Los Angeles, You’re Welcome.”
Ibrahimovic also has modest plans for making it big after his career on the pitch is over. “I think leading man — something like Rambo, Bourne Identity, because I think I have the skills to do those things,” he told a U.S. radio station (via the Mirror). “Somebody says I could be like the bad guy in the movie, because my English is like Ivan Drago. But I see myself better than that.”
