close
Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has claimed that former Liverpool forward Luis Suarez is better than Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Suarez and Ibrahimovic are two of the greatest strikers to have graced the sport.
Ibrahimovic called time on his professional career in 2023, while Suarez still plies his trade with Inter Miami in the Major League Soccer (MLS). Apart from being great strikers, one similar notable thing in the careers of the pair is they both played at multiple clubs.
Ibrahimovic played for nine clubs throughout his professional career and scored 561 goals across club and country. Suarez, meanwhile, is currently playing for his eighth club and has scored 558 career goals across club and country.
Calafiori spoke with GOAL and compared some greats while also making an intriguing comparison between Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luis Ibrahimovic. The Arsenal man admitted that Ibrahimovic is a legend, but added that Liverpool had a striker who was even better in Suarez.
In terms of goal scoring, Suarez edges Ibrahimovic across different football competitions. The Uruguayan striker has more goals in club sides and more international goals, but the Swede has more UEFA Champions League goals. However, Ibrahimovic never won the competition throughout his playing career.
''He's among the top five strikers in the world'' – When former Liverpool player Mamadou Sakho said Luis Suarez is in the same category as Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Mamadou Sakho once placed his former teammate, Luis Suarez, in the same bracket as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. His comments came after Suarez was named the Premier League Player of the Month in the 2013-14 season while at Liverpool.
Speaking after Suarez picked up the individual accolade, Sakho said (via Bleacher Report):
''Luis Suarez is in the same category as Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He's among the top five strikers in the world right now. They have different qualities, but they are both machines.
''Luis Suarez is also a cool guy. He likes to joke around in the dressing room. He even tries to speak French sometimes with his funny accent. He's a good guy, contrary to the image he has. I also thought that when I arrived, but I soon understood that he was someone who's prepared to do everything to win, but he's a good person.’’
Suarez won the highest-goal scorer award in the Premier League that season as he scored 31 goals. He also jointly won the European Golden Shoe award with Cristiano Ronaldo, who also scored 31 goals in LaLiga.
Why did you not like this content?
Cancel Submit
Was this article helpful?
like selected
avatar selected
Thank You for feedback
About the author
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,
Ezekiel Olamide
Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
Know More
Quick Links
More from Sportskeeda
Edited by Aditya Singh