Zlatan Ibrahimovic is never afraid to speak his mind and go against the grain with his opinions. The charismatic Swedish icon will have left many people with raised eyebrows with his positioning of both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the GOAT debate.
Both men are generally considered to at least be among the four greatest players to have ever lived, alongside South American heroes Pele and Diego Maradona. However, Ibrahimovic decided two of that iconic quartet aren't at the top of the pile.
The biggest omission made when the retired striker was asked to name his three football GOATs was fellow legendary forward Ronaldo. The Manchester United and Real Madrid icon has scored more goals than any other player in the sport's history. But that isn't enough to impress Ibrahimovic, who overlooked CR7, according to Planet Football
3. Lionel Messi
Lionel Messi
Despite being the most decorated player in football history - with 46 major trophies in his cabinet - Lionel Messi has to settle for a bronze medal when it comes to Ibrahimovic's list. The pair played together for a short spell at Barcelona, but that wasn't enough for the Swede to be convinced his Argentine counterpart is the greatest to grace the turf. He said:
"For the third position, I’m going to say Messi. He’s won… not sure if there’s anything left for him to win."
2. Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Pele and Diego Maradona were the original Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. In the sense that football supporters across the globe just couldn't settle on who the standout player was. Ibrahimovic answered that debate by placing Maradona second in his all-time rankings, while snubbing Brazil's greatest-ever player. The 44-year-old stated:
"I’ll give the second position to Maradona. For me, he was a real one. He did everything with his heart, with his emotions."
1. Ronaldo Nazario
ronaldo nazario 2002 world cup
Ronaldo Nazario is not only the most talented striker football has ever seen, in the opinion of Ibrahimovic, but the Brazilian legend is also the greatest of all time. Full stop. It's quite the compliment to be placed on a pedestal above every other great of the sport by someone like Ibrahimovic. The two-time Ballon d'Or winner was an idol to the ex-Sweden international, and it shows as he claimed:
"In my opinion, Ronaldo, the phenomenon, the Brazilian, he was football. When you watch certain players, the day after you try to imitate them."
It's not the first time he's heaped praise on the former Barcelona and Real Madrid superstar either. Ibrahimovic said in a 2021 interview: "I always tell everyone who plays with me: Ronaldo is football. That Ronaldo is football. The way he moved, the way he did those stepovers, those mazy runs. In my view, he is the best player in history, no doubt about it."