title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović scored Barcelona's only goal in the 2009–10 Copa del Rey first leg match of the round of 16 in a 2–1 loss to Sevilla on 5 January 2010. On 20 January, he was selected in the 2009 UEFA Team of the Year. His first goal of 2010 came on 14 February against Atlético Madrid. In his next appearance, Ibrahimović scored against Stuttgart in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout stage fixture. He was sent off on 6 March in a league match against Almería, which Barcelona appealed to no avail, and he was suspended for one game. A calf strain during warmups before the next La Liga match following his return from suspension against Athletic Bilbao ruled Ibrahimović out of the second leg 4–1 victory over Arsenal, in which he scored two goals away from home, the return leg of "El Clásico" against Madrid (which Barcelona won 2–0), and the next league match against Deportivo de La Coruña. He made his return as a substitute in the 82nd minute in a 0–0 away draw against Espanyol on 17 April.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Following Barcelona's semi-final defeat to Inter Milan in the Champions League, Ibrahimović spoke of how he confronted his coach Pep Guardiola in the changing room. "I yelled: 'You haven't got any balls!' and worse than that I added: 'You can go to hell!' I completely lost it, and you might have expected Guardiola to say a few words in response, but he's a spineless coward. He just [...] left, never to mention it again, not a word." He scored his final goal for Barcelona in the 2010 Supercopa de España on 14 August in a 3–1 defeat against Sevilla, and on 25 August, he played his last match for the club against Milan for the Joan Gamper Trophy, after which he claimed to the media that his relationship with Guardiola had started deteriorating and that Guardiola had not spoken to him since February. In his autobiography "I Am Zlatan", he states, "'It started well but then Messi started to talk. He wanted to play in the middle, not on the wing, so the system changed from 4–3–3 to 4–5–1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed."


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 28 August 2010, AC Milan announced via their official website that they had signed Ibrahimović for the 2010–11 season. He was loaned out to Milan for the season, with the club having the option to purchase him outright for €24 million at the end of the season. He signed a four-year deal immediately after successfully passing the medical examinations. Upon signing, Ibrahimović said, "This move gives me more adrenaline. I have moved here to win the Champions League with Milan. I want to win the double."


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović made his Milan debut in a 2–0 loss to Cesena on 11 September, in which he missed a penalty late in the match, and scored his first goals for the club when Milan defeated Auxerre in their first Champions League match of the season on 15 September. On 14 November, Ibrahimović scored in a 1–0 victory against his former club Inter in the "Derby della Madonnina". On 20 November, he scored his seventh goal against Fiorentina in the 45th minute with an over-the-head bicycle kick, passing Alexandre Pato as the team's top goalscorer for the season. On 4 December 2010, in a game against Brescia, he assisted Kevin-Prince Boateng to give Milan an early lead and then scored the third goal by a powerful shot near the edge of the penalty box to give Milan a 3–0 win. On 12 December 2010, history repeated itself in the game against Bologna after he assisted Boateng to give Milan an early lead once again and scoring later that match to make it 3–0, leading him to 13 goals with 8 assists in 21 matches in all competitions. Within days of the match, he was compared to Milan legend Marco van Basten by both the media and Van Basten himself.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović received a three-match ban after being shown a red card in a 1–1 home draw against Bari in March 2011 for punching Bari defender Marco Rossi in the stomach. An additional three-match ban was given to Ibrahimović in February 2012 in a 2–1 home defeat against Fiorentina for swearing at an assistant referee. Ibrahimović stated in his defence that he was talking to himself in frustration. He won his first "Scudetto" with Milan after a draw against Roma. All agreements between Milan and Barcelona were confirmed on 18 June 2011.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović started the new season on 6 August in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana against city rivals Inter, where he scored the first goal of a 2–1 comeback victory to clinch the first trophy of the season. In the opening league match of the 2011–12 season, Ibrahimović scored Milan's first goal of a 2–2 home draw against Lazio. He scored his first Champions League goal of the season on 28 September in a 2–0 home win against Viktoria Plzeň, which was followed by another one on 19 October against BATE Borisov in another 2–0 home win. He continued with his solid performances as he scored in a 4–1 home win against Parma and a brace in the team's 3–2 away victory over Roma, ending a successful month of October.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: November saw him score in consecutive games against BATE, in the Champions League, and Catania, in the league. Later in the month against Barcelona in another Champions League tie, Ibrahimović scored against his old club to equalise the game at 1–1. Barça eventually pulled away however with Xavi scoring the winning goal for the Catalan giants to make it 3–2 at the San Siro. He ended November with a brace against Chievo, the first of those tallies brought his Serie A career total to 100 goals. In December, Ibrahimović scored a goal in each of five Serie A games. As 2012 started, he scored against Atalanta converting a penalty kick. He was the top goalscorer of Serie A, with 14 goals in 16 appearances following a brace against Novara, of which the second goal came from a backheel. On 5 February 2012 in a match against Napoli, he was shown a red card for slapping Salvatore Aronica in an off-the-ball incident, and was given yet another three-match ban from Serie A games.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 15 February, in the first leg of the Champions League's round of 16, Ibrahimović set up both of Robinho's goals and also scored by a spot kick, thus helping Milan win 4–0 over Arsenal. On 3 March, during the 4–0 away win against Palermo, Ibrahimović took the lead of the goalscorers table as he scored a first-half hat-trick to take his tally up to 17 goals. He finished the season as Serie A top scorer with 28 goals in 32 matches.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 17 July 2012, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed that they had reached an agreement to acquire the sporting and economic rights of Ibrahimović from Milan, having already agreed personal terms with the striker, for a transfer fee of €20 million. Valued at €180 million, these combined fees eclipsed those commanded by Nicolas Anelka. His three-year contract would see him receive a net annual salary of €14 million including bonuses (which would be €2 million more than what he was earning per year just before he left Milan), and make him the second best paid footballer in the world behind Samuel Eto'o.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: The following day, Ibrahimović signed the contract and made the following statement during the press conference: "It is a big step in my career and another dream come true. I am very happy because it is a project that I want to be involved in. I want to be part of the history of the club. I am here to win and nothing else." Ibrahimović scored twice in the second half for PSG to help them rally from 2–0 down at half-time to salvage a 2–2 home draw with Lorient in their opening 2012–13 Ligue 1 match. He scored two goals in the first half to help PSG to a 2–1 win over Lille which was PSG's first Ligue 1 win after three successive draws in the first three league matches of the 2012–13 season.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In the opening 2012–13 Champions League Group A match against Dynamo Kyiv on 18 September 2012, Ibrahimović scored his sixth goal in only his fifth appearance for Carlo Ancelotti's side through a penalty. He thus became the first man to score for six clubs in the UEFA Champions League. On 8 October, Ibrahimović became only the third player (after Ronaldinho and Laurent Blanc) to have played in "El Clásico" in Spain, the "Derby della Madonnina" in Italy and "Le Classique", the derby between Marseille and PSG. He scored both of PSG's goals (the first goal was from a backheel and the second was from a free kick) in the Ligue 1 "Classique" derby at the Stade Vélodrome on that day, with the match finishing 2–2. On 11 December 2012, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win against Valenciennes.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In January 2013, Ibrahimović was handed the number 10 jersey after the departure of Brazilian winger Nenê. In April 2013, Ibrahimović scored in a 2–2 draw against his former club Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. PSG, however, were knocked out on away goals after drawing 1–1 at Camp Nou in the second leg. He ended the season as the assists leader in the 2012–13 Champions League, providing seven assists. On 12 May 2013, Paris Saint-Germain won the Ligue 1 title after a 1–0 away win against Lyon, their third title and first since 1994. He ended the year as Ligue 1's top goalscorer with 30 goals, becoming the first player to reach that mark in the French top flight since Jean-Pierre Papin in the 1989–90 season. On 20 May, he was named as Ligue 1's Player of the Year by the Union nationale des footballeurs professionnels (UNFP).


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović netted his first goal of the season on 31 August 2013, scoring deep into stoppage time as PSG recorded a 2–0 victory over Guingamp. On 24 September, it was announced that Ibrahimović had extended his contract with PSG, which would see him stay at the club until 2016. A week later on 2 October, the Swede scored twice as PSG ran out 3–0 winners over Benfica in a Champions League group match. On 19 October, he scored two goals in PSG's 4–0 win over Bastia, one an audacious volleyed back heel as he reached behind the defender to fire the ball into the net. The goal was later named as Ligue 1's Goal of the Season, as chosen by the public. Four days later, Ibrahimović scored four goals in PSG's 5–0 away win against RSC Anderlecht in the Champions League; he scored the eighth-fastest hat-trick in the competition's history (completed in 19 minutes which included a bending 30-yard half-volley clocked at 93 miles per hour), and became the 11th player to score four times or more in a Champions League match.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 27 November, Ibrahimović made his 100th UEFA Champions League appearance, scoring the opening goal in a 2–1 win over Olympiacos at the Parc des Princes. On 16 March 2014, Ibrahimović scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Saint-Étienne to surpass Carlos Bianchi's club record of 39 goals in a season. On 11 May, he was named Ligue 1's Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Ibrahimović ended the Ligue 1 season as top scorer with 26 goals as PSG won a second consecutive league title. Overall, he scored 41 goals in all competitions, including ten in eight Champions League matches.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović scored his first two goals for Paris Saint Germain on 2 August 2014 against Guingamp in the 2014 Trophée des Champions, winning his first silverware of the season. In the first league match of the season, Ibrahimović scored twice but also missed an open net and had a penalty saved as PSG drew 2–2 with Reims. Ibrahimović scored his first league hat-trick of the season in a match against Saint-Étienne on 31 August. In the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue on 13 January 2015, Ibrahimović scored the only goal to win away at Saint-Étienne. The home team argued that the ball had not crossed the line, and fans threw objects onto the pitch, disrupting play for ten minutes.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 11 March, Ibrahimović received a straight red card in a Champions League round of 16 match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, for a foul on Oscar. PSG drew 2–2 after extra time to qualify for the quarter-finals on away goals. Nine days later, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Lorient at the Parc des Princes. He netted another hat-trick on 8 April as PSG reached the 2015 Coupe de France Final with a 4–1 win over Saint-Étienne, starting with a penalty for his 100th goal for the club. He ended the match with 102 career goals for PSG, second only to Pauleta. Three days later, he scored twice as PSG defeated Bastia 4–0 in the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final. The first goal was a penalty which he won when fouled by Sébastien Squillaci, resulting in the Bastia defender's dismissal.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 4 October 2015, Ibrahimović scored both goals from penalty kicks in a 2–1 home win over Marseille to overtake Pauleta and become Paris Saint-Germain's all-time leading goalscorer with 110 goals in all official competitions. On 25 November, Ibrahimović captained PSG on his return to hometown club Malmö FF in the group stage of the 2015–16 Champions League. He scored the team's third goal in a 5–0 win, a result that confirmed PSG's qualification to the knockout stage of the competition. In scoring twice in PSG's 3–0 win over Nice on 4 December 2015, Ibrahimović beat Mustapha Dahleb's previous record of 85 goals to become the club's all-time top goalscorer in the French first division. On 16 February 2016, in the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg against Chelsea at home, Ibrahimović scored the opener in the 39th minute with a free kick to help his team win 2–1. This was Ibrahimović's 116th appearance in the Champions League, meaning that he overtook Carles Puyol to enter the competition's all-time top ten appearance makers. Four days later, Ibrahimović netted twice during the 4–1 home win over Reims, taking his tally up to 23 league goals; he also set up the goals of Edinson Cavani and Gregory van der Wiel.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 9 March, in the second leg of PSG's Champions League tie with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Ibrahimović assisted a goal for Adrien Rabiot and scored the winning goal himself as Paris won the match 2–1 and progressed to the quarter-final stage with a 4–2 aggregate victory. With this goal, he became the 14th player to score 50 or more goals in UEFA club competitions. Four days later, he scored four times in a 9–0 win at bottom team Troyes that sealed PSG's league conquest with eight games remaining; his hat-trick goal was his 100th in the league. His nine-minute hat-trick was the fastest in Ligue 1 history. Later that day, he announced he would be leaving PSG at the end of the season, while joking that only if they replaced the Eiffel Tower with a statue of himself would he stay. On 16 April, Ibrahimović scored twice in a 6–0 home win against Caen to earn him a season-best 32 goals in league; it was also his 41st goal of the season, equaling his season-best in 2013–14 season with two games less playing. Three days later, he netted the winner in the 2015–16 Coupe de France semi-final match away against Lorient to send Paris into the final for the second consecutive season; it was also his 42nd goal of the season, setting a new personal best. On 8 May 2016, Ibrahimović was named UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Season for the third consecutive year.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović made his final Ligue 1 appearance for PSG against Nantes at the Parc des Princes on 14 May 2016, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory to become Paris Saint-Germain's top scorer in a single Ligue 1 season with 38 goals, which put him one goal ahead of Carlos Bianchi, who managed 37 in the 1977–78 campaign. Ibrahimović ended the 2015–16 Ligue 1 season as its top scorer, the third time that he had done so. The league match was stopped briefly in the tenth minute as fans gave Ibrahimović – whose PSG shirt was number 10 – a standing ovation. He was also cheered just before the final whistle, holding his two sons in his arms. They had run onto the pitch moments earlier, wearing number 10 PSG shirts with either the word "King" or "Legend" written in English on the back. The names were in reference to their father's "I came like a king, left like a legend" post on social media before the match. On 21 May 2016, Ibrahimović scored twice (his 155th and 156th goals in his 180th and final competitive match for the club) in the second half of the 2016 Coupe de France Final, and also set up Edinson Cavani's goal. PSG defeated Marseille 4–2 in that match. He was substituted to a standing ovation in the final minutes of the match. PSG thus won the Ligue 1-Coupe de France-Coupe de la Ligue domestic treble for the second consecutive season, and equalled Marseille's all-time record of ten Coupe de France titles. His record as PSG's all-time top scorer was surpassed by his former strike partner Cavani in January 2018.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 1 July 2016, Ibrahimović signed as a free agent for Manchester United on a one-year contract, which had the option of being extended depending on his performance for the club. His salary was reported to be £200,000 per week.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović was handed the number 9 jersey ahead of the 2016–17 season. On 7 August, Ibrahimović scored the match-winning goal for Manchester United in the 2016 FA Community Shield, rising above Wes Morgan to head past Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in a 2–1 victory. This was his record 10th domestic super cup, won in a fifth country. In his Premier League debut one week later, he scored with a long-range strike in the 3–1 away win at AFC Bournemouth on the opening day. On 20 August, he scored both goals; a header in the first half and a penalty in the second, to beat Southampton 2–0 on his home debut. On 6 November, he scored twice in a 3–1 away win against Swansea City; his first was the 25,000th goal in Premier League history. He was later booked, picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, ruling him out of the league game at home against Arsenal on 19 November. On 5 February 2017, Ibrahimović scored his 15th league goal of the season and 20th in all competitions in a 3–0 away win against Leicester City, becoming the oldest player to manage at least 15 goals in a single Premier League season at the age of 35 years and 125 days.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 16 February, Ibrahimović registered his first Manchester United hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Saint-Étienne in the Europa League Round of 32. On 19 February, he made his first FA Cup appearance, coming on as a 62nd-minute substitute and scoring the winner in a 2–1 fifth round win against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. Exactly a week after his FA Cup debut, Ibrahimović scored two goals, a free-kick and a header (the winning goal), in the 2017 EFL Cup Final to clinch United's fifth League Cup and to win his second trophy with the club. On 7 March, Ibrahimović was suspended for three matches by The Football Association for violent conduct after elbowing Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings in a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford three days earlier. Later on 13 April, Ibrahimović was included in the six player shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 20 April, Ibrahimović sustained serious ligament damage in his right knee in a Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht at Old Trafford. Several sources reported that the injury would sideline the player until at least the end of the 2016–17 season. Ibrahimović won his first major European title when Manchester United defeated Ajax in the Europa League Final at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, before being named in the UEFA Europa League squad of the season. At the end of the season, it was announced that Manchester United would release Ibrahimović at the end of his contract on 30 June 2017, although they later confirmed that they were in talks with Ibrahimović to re-sign him for the latter half of the 2017–18 Premier League season.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 24 August 2017, it was announced that Ibrahimović had signed a new one-year contract with Manchester United. It was also announced that he would be wearing number 10 in his second season with the team. Ibrahimović made his return for the club on 18 November, replacing Anthony Martial as a substitute in a 4–1 home win against Newcastle United. The following week, he became the first ever player to feature for seven clubs in the Champions League when he came on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to Basel. In his first start of the season on 20 December, Ibrahimović's first goal of the season came as he scored a free-kick in a 2–1 loss against Bristol City in the quarter-final of the EFL Cup. On 22 March 2018, Manchester United announced that Ibrahimović had agreed to the termination of his contract.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 23 March 2018, Ibrahimović signed for Major League Soccer (MLS) club LA Galaxy. He announced his arrival in idiosyncratic style by taking out a signed full-page advertisement in the "Los Angeles Times" that simply said, "Dear Los Angeles, you're welcome".


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: He made his debut on 31 March as a substitute against Los Angeles FC in the inaugural El Tráfico derby, where he scored twice, including a half volley and a header in stoppage time, helping the Galaxy come from three goals down to win the match 4–3. After his match-winning performance, Ibrahimović said, "I heard the crowd saying 'We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan', so I gave them Zlatan." He scored twice for the Galaxy in a 3–2 defeat to FC Dallas on 30 May; he railed against his team after the match, saying "Every game we shouldn't be losing two or three goals and then you have to catch the game and try to win. This is not the game; this is absolutely not the game. Even if you are in MLS or Premier League, wherever, it doesn't work like that. We need to be the leading team and play from there, not to catch the goal all the time, so obviously it's not good."


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović scored a penalty in a 4–0 win against the Columbus Crew on 8 July. He scored his 12th league goal of the season against the Philadelphia Union in a 3–1 victory on 21 July. Ibrahimović scored his first MLS hat-trick the following week in a 4–3 win against Orlando City, with his three goals inside 24 second-half minutes helping the Galaxy overcome a 1–2 deficit. On 15 September, Ibrahimović scored his 500th professional career goal for club and country with another acrobatic strike in a 5–3 away defeat against Toronto FC. Post match, Ibrahimović stated he was "happy for Toronto because they'll be remembered as my 500th victim". The goal was nominated in August 2019 for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. In his first year, despite the Galaxy missing out on the playoffs, Ibrahimović managed to be selected for the MLS All-Star Game and the MLS Best XI, as well as being awarded the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award and MLS Goal of the Year for his strike from distance against Los Angeles FC.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović was named team captain ahead of the 2019 season. On 2 March 2019, he scored in the Galaxy's opening match in a 2–1 win over the Chicago Fire. On 31 March, in his second appearance of the season, Ibrahimović scored two goals from the penalty spot, including one Panenka-style, in a 2–1 home win over the Portland Timbers. With this he reached 515 career goals, overtaking fellow countryman Gunnar Nordahl to become the Swedish player with the most goals in football history. On 20 July, Ibrahimović scored a perfect hat-trick against Los Angeles FC to win the match 3–2. This performance followed a debate on whether Ibrahimović was the best player in MLS compared to Los Angeles FC rival Carlos Vela, with Ibrahimović claiming himself the "best by far". Ibrahimović scored a second hat-trick of the season on 15 September, in a 7–2 win against Sporting Kansas City. This brought his tally for 2019 to 26 goals, breaking the club record for most goals scored in a single regular season. Ibrahimović was again named both an MLS All-Star and to the Best XI for a second consecutive season.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović managed to lead the LA Galaxy to the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, where on 24 October, despite recording a goal and an assist, his side were eliminated in the Western Conference Semifinals, following a 5–3 away defeat against Los Angeles FC. On 13 November 2019, Ibrahimović announced he was to leave the LA Galaxy through his Twitter account, telling Galaxy fans "[Y]ou wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome. The story continues...Now go back to watch baseball".


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 27 December 2019, Ibrahimović returned to AC Milan on a free transfer on a six-month contract until the end of the season, with an option to extend his contract until the end of the 2020–21 season, subject to certain conditions. He made his first appearance since his return to the club on 6 January 2020, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 Serie A home draw against Sampdoria at the San Siro. Ibrahimović scored his first goal for Milan since returning on 11 January, in a 2–0 away win against Cagliari. The landmark goal saw him score in each of the last four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s). On 9 February, he assisted a goal and subsequently scored another for Milan in their eventual 4–2 loss against rivals Inter; as a result, he became the oldest goalscorer ever in the Derby della Madonnina at the age of 38 years and 129 days, breaking the previous record set by Swedish compatriot Nils Liedholm (aged 38 years and 43 days).


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović made his 100th appearance for the club (including his previous stint) on 15 July 2020, in a 3–1 home league win over Parma. He became the first player to score 50 Serie A goals for both Milan clubs on 29 July, with a brace in a win over Sampdoria. On 1 August, Ibrahimović scored a goal in a 3–0 win over Cagliari, becoming the oldest player to score at least ten goals in a Serie A season since Silvio Piola with Novara in the 1950s, at the age of 38 years and 302 days. On 31 August 2020, Ibrahimović extended his contract until the summer of 2021.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 17 September 2020, Ibrahimović scored Milan's first goal of the 2020–21 season in a 2–0 away win over Shamrock Rovers in the second qualifying round of the Europa League. Four days later, he scored a brace in Milan's opening match of the Serie A season, a 2–0 home win over Bologna. After missing three games recovering from COVID-19, Ibrahimović returned in the Derby della Madonnina on 17 October, scoring twice in three minutes as Milan defeated Inter 2–1. He scored his third consecutive brace in the league in a 3–3 home draw to Roma on 26 October. On 22 November, Ibrahimović again scored twice in a 3–1 away win over Napoli, which was also his eighth consecutive league appearance with at least one goal. However, he also suffered a hamstring injury and had to be substituted.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović made his return to the side from injury on 9 January 2021, being brought on for the final five minutes of Milan's 2–0 win against Torino. On 18 January, he scored both of his side's goals in their 2–0 victory over Cagliari, ensuring Milan would stay three points clear at the top of the league table. Ibrahimović's goals meant that he had managed to score in each of his last nine starts for the club.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 26 January, Ibrahimović was involved in a confrontation with former Manchester United teammate Romelu Lukaku in AC Milan's Coppa Italia quarter-final match against Inter. Following a foul committed by Lukaku late in the first half, he and Ibrahimović could be heard exchanging insults as the pair clashed heads and had to be restrained by their respective teammates. Both players were booked as their arguments continued into the tunnel at half-time. Ibrahimović would be sent off during the second half following a second yellow for a foul on Aleksandar Kolarov, as Inter went on to record a 2–1 victory. Ibrahimović faced backlash after the match for his statements made in the confrontation, including when pitchside microphones picked up him telling Lukaku to "go do your voodoo" and calling him a "little donkey", with an investigation by the Italian Football Federation to determine if the statements made constituted racial abuse. Ibrahimović denied using racism on social media, stating "In Zlatan's world there is no place for racism", although also including a possible jab at Lukaku by adding "We are all players some better than others." On 26 April, although no evidence of racist intent was found, Ibrahimović was fined €4,000, and Lukaku €3,000.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović scored another brace in a 4–0 win over Crotone on 7 February, reaching the milestone of 500 and 501 total club career goals in the process. On 22 April, he signed a new contract extension to stay with the side for another season. On 9 May, Ibrahimović had to be substituted off in the second half of Milan's 3–0 victory at Juventus following an injury to his left knee, which would rule him out for the remainder of the season.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 12 September 2021, Ibrahimović made his first appearance for Milan since returning from injury and scored in a 2–0 win over Lazio, and in doing so, at the age of 39 years and 344 days he became the oldest non-Italian player to score a goal in the 123-year history of Serie A, breaking the record previously held by former Parma centre-back Bruno Alves. On 23 October, Ibrahimović scored Milan's fourth in a 4–2 win over Bologna, becoming the fourth player to score a Serie A goal after his 40th birthday after Alessandro Costacurta, Silvio Piola and Pietro Vierchowod. On 20 November, he scored two goals in a 4–3 loss to Fiorentina, and in doing so, became the oldest player to score a brace in a Serie A game as well as the first 40-year-old player to net a brace in Europe's top five leagues in the 21st century. On 11 December, Ibrahimović scored an acrobatic equaliser in stoppage-time in a 1–1 draw with Udinese, reaching the milestone of 300 career league goals across Europe's top five leagues, thus becoming just the third person in the 21st century to achieve it after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 24 April 2022, Ibrahimović set up Tonali's 90 minute winner against Lazio, helping Milan take the leading spot of the Serie A table. On 22 May, after the final match against Sassuolo, Milan won the Serie A title for the first time in 11 years, Ibrahimović also being part of their last title in 2011. He contributed with eight goals and three assists during the campaign. It was his overall 5th Serie A title (2 additional titles were revoked with Juventus), Ibrahimović dedicated the title to his agent and friend, the late Mino Raiola who had died recently. Three days later, Ibrahimović revealed that he had played through an ACL injury for six months during the season, for which he underwent surgical repair that day and would be off the pitch for at least seven months. It was announced on 18 July that he had signed a one year contract extension with Milan, staying for the next season.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In 1999, Ibrahimović played four games and scored one goal for the Sweden U18 team. In 2001, he made his debut for the Sweden U21 team and played in two games in the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualifying campaign, including the second-leg game against Belgium in the qualification play-offs which saw Sweden eliminated from the competition. In total, Ibrahimović played seven games and scored six goals for the U21 team.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović was eligible to represent Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Croatia at international level; he chose Sweden. He made his debut for Sweden in a 0–0 friendly draw against the Faroe Islands at Tipshallen on 31 January 2001 during the 2000–01 Nordic Football Championship. On 7 October 2001, he played his first competitive match, a 2002 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, scoring his first ever international goal in a 3–0 win as Sweden topped their group to qualify for the upcoming tournament.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović was part of the Sweden squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Korea and Japan, who were eliminated at the round of 16 by newcomers Senegal. He appeared twice in the tournament, coming on as a substitute in the group stage game against Argentina and in the round of 16 game against Senegal.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Sweden qualified for UEFA Euro 2004 as group winners, with Ibrahimović scoring three goals throughout the qualifying campaign. In Sweden's opening group match of Euro 2004 against Bulgaria on 14 June, Ibrahimović assisted one of Freddie Ljungberg's goals and later scored from a penalty in a 5–0 win. In the following match against Italy on 18 June, he scored an 85th-minute equaliser with a back-heel lob to seal a 1–1 draw and was named Man of the Match; the goal was later named the best goal of the tournament. Sweden and Denmark subsequently sealed a place in the knockout round on direct encounters following a 2–2 draw in their final group match, despite a three-way five-point tie with Italy, with Sweden topping the group. In the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, he missed a penalty in the resulting shoot-out following a 0–0 draw after extra-time, as Sweden were eliminated from the competition.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: During the 2006 World Cup qualification campaign, Ibrahimović scored four goals in a 7–0 victory away to Malta on 4 September 2004. He scored a total of eight goals during the qualifying campaign, which ranked joint-third best among the UEFA teams together with Finland's Alexei Eremenko but behind the Czech Republic's Jan Koller (nine goals) and Portugal's Pauleta (eleven goals). He did not score during the 2006 World Cup finals, as Sweden were knocked out in the round of 16, this time by Germany.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović was called up for a Euro 2008 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 6 September 2006, but two days before the match, he violated team curfew by leaving the hotel with teammates Christian Wilhelmsson and Olof Mellberg, visiting a nightclub. Though none of the players consumed any alcohol, they were nonetheless all sent home by manager Lars Lagerbäck as punishment and did not take part in the match. Mellberg and Wilhelmsson did not appeal the coach's decision, but Ibrahimović felt that it was unjust and therefore refused to take part in Sweden's next qualifiers against Iceland and Spain. He also refused to partake in a friendly against Egypt on 7 February 2007, but ended his self-imposed boycott a month later, and returned for Sweden's loss to Northern Ireland on 28 March. He did not score in any of the 12 qualifying matches. Ibrahimović was awarded the 2007 Swedish Golden Ball as the "Country's Top Player of the Year".


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović ended his international goal drought, which had lasted for over two years, in a 2–0 win against Greece in Sweden's Euro 2008 opener on 10 June 2008, in which he was named Man of the Match, also scoring in the next match, a 2–1 defeat against eventual champions Spain, four days later. He finished the tournament with two goals as Sweden were eliminated in the group stage by Russia, following a 2–0 loss.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Malta on 10 June 2009 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier. On 5 September 2009, he scored a last second goal in Ferenc Puskás Stadium against Hungary in a 2–1 win for Sweden in their qualification match, although Sweden ultimately failed to qualify for the tournament, finishing third in their qualifying group.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ahead of the Euro 2012 qualification, Ibrahimović was named team captain on his return to the national team by manager Erik Hamrén. He scored his first goals of the qualifying game against San Marino, where he scored the first and fifth goals in a 6–0 win in front of over 21,000 home fans despite being down to ten men for over an hour. His next goals came in the form of a hat-trick against Finland, whom they beat 5–0.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: At the Euro 2012 finals, Ibrahimović scored the opening goal in Sweden's first game of the tournament, a 2–1 defeat against hosts Ukraine. He then scored with a volley, later considered the goal of the tournament, to open the score in Sweden's 2–0 win against France in the last group match; he was later named Man of the Match. Despite the victory, Sweden were knocked out of the competition in the group stage. Although Sweden suffered a group stage elimination, Ibrahimović was named to the Team of the Tournament for his performances.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In October 2012, Ibrahimović scored Sweden's first goal as they came from 4–0 down to draw 4–4 in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Germany in Berlin. It was the first time in its history that the German national team had not won a match after leading by four goals.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 14 November 2012, he scored all four goals in a 4–2 win over England in the first ever match at the Friends Arena. His fourth goal, a 35-yard overhead kick with his back to goal, won him praise from players and pundits, with "The Guardian" calling it "a moment of sublime mastery", while the BBC described it as a goal that "combined unfathomable imagination and expert technique". It would win Ibrahimović the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. It is often considered one of the best goals of all time.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 14 August 2013, Ibrahimović scored another international hat-trick at the Friends Arena, scoring Sweden's first three goals in a 4–2 friendly win against Scandinavian rivals Norway. Ibrahimović ended Sweden's qualifying campaign with eight goals. He scored twice in a 3–2 play-off defeat to Portugal – billed as a battle between Zlatan and Cristiano Ronaldo (Ronaldo scored three) – as the team failed to reach the 2014 World Cup. Ibrahimović summarised the defeat by saying: "One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch."


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 4 September 2014, Ibrahimović scored his 50th international goal in a 2–0 friendly match victory over Estonia, making him the Swedish national team's all-time leading goalscorer. Earlier in the same match, he equaled Sven Rydell's record of 49 by scoring the opening goal. On 8 September, he made his 100th appearance for Sweden in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna. On 14 November 2015, Ibrahimović scored the winning goal for Sweden in a 2–1 victory in the home leg of the Euro 2016 qualifying play-off against rivals Denmark. Three days later, he scored both Sweden's goals of a 2–2 draw in Copenhagen to qualify the nation for the Euro 2016 finals. Ibrahimović scored eleven goals during the qualifying phase, making him the second-highest overall top scorer after Poland's Robert Lewandowski.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 11 May 2016, Ibrahimović was included in the final 23-man squad for Sweden at Euro 2016. On 21 June 2016, he announced that he would retire from international football immediately after Sweden's last match at the tournament. The following day, Sweden finished their group in last place after a 1–0 loss against Belgium, and as a result were eliminated along with seven other teams in the first round. As captain, Ibrahimović played every minute of Sweden's three group matches, but did not score any goals, managing only one shot on target during the tournament.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In November 2017, after Sweden clinched qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia by defeating Italy in the second qualifying round, there was speculation about a possible return of Ibrahimović to the national team. Ibrahimović himself expressed his wish to represent Sweden in the World Cup. However, in April 2018, Sweden manager Janne Andersson stated that Ibrahimović would not be called up for the World Cup, thus ending any possibility of a return. Later in June, Ibrahimović blamed the Swedish media for his World Cup absence.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In November 2020, Ibrahimović hinted in a newspaper interview once again the possibility of returning to the Swedish national side, prompting Sweden manager Janne Andersson to fly to Milan to discuss the matter with him. On 15 March 2021, Andersson included Ibrahimović in the Sweden squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Georgia, officially confirming his comeback to the side almost five years after his initial retirement. Ibrahimović responded to the announcement by simply tweeting "The return of the God". On 25 March, he started in a 1–0 home win against Georgia, providing the assist to Viktor Claesson's decisive goal, making him the oldest man in history to play for Sweden's national team. He then assisted Ludwig Augustinsson's opening goal in the following 3–0 win against Kosovo before being substituted in the 67th minute.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 15 May 2021, days before Sweden was to announce their UEFA Euro 2020 squad, Andersson confirmed that Ibrahimović would not be included in the squad due to a knee injury he sustained with Milan days prior. He appeared as a late substitute in Sweden's 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off final against Poland on 29 March 2022, as Sweden lost 0–2 and failed to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović has been described by ESPN as being "good in the air, quick, tall, strong and agile, he plays well with his back to goal and boasts some of the best finishing, vision, passing and ball control around." A versatile and well-rounded attacker, from a tactical standpoint, Ibrahimović is capable of playing anywhere along the front line, due to his ability to both create and score goals for his team, although he is most often deployed as a striker, due to his composure and eye for goal. He has also functioned in a more creative playmaking role at times, as a supporting forward or even as a number 10, in particular in his later career, after losing some of his pace and stamina with age; this deeper position allows him to drop into midfield to pick up the ball, where he can utilise his technical ability, vision, passing, and movement to create space and provide assists for teammates.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: While naturally right-footed, Ibrahimović is a powerful and accurate striker of the ball from both inside or outside the penalty area with either foot, and is also known for his accuracy from penalties and dead ball situations. An accurate finisher with his head as well as with his feet, his height, elevation, and strength often give him an advantage at winning aerial challenges, and also allow him to function as a "target man"; despite his large stature, Ibrahimović is uncommonly agile for a player of his size, and his athleticism and ability in the air have seen him score several goals from acrobatic strikes and volleys throughout his career, which earned him the moniker "Ibracadabra" in the Italian media. In spite of his size and physique, Ibrahimović possesses excellent technique and ball control, which, coupled with his balance, power, and physicality, enables him to hold up the ball well with his back to goal, retain possession, and link up with other players; he has also been praised by pundits for his creativity and dribbling skills. Although he is not gifted with exceptional pace, in particular over shorter distances, which became more evident in his later career as he slowed down with age, he is also a quick player and a fast sprinter, who possessed significant acceleration in his youth, and was able to clock top speeds over 30 km/h even into his 30s.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Considered to be a highly talented player in his youth, due to his prolific goalscoring, consistency, and spectacular strikes, Ibrahimović came to be regarded by many in the sport to be one of the best players in the world during his prime, and as one of the greatest and most complete strikers of his generation; he has also been regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović has drawn praise from managers and teammates for his leadership and longevity, as well as his fitness, professionalism, and dedication in training. Regarding his work-ethic, his former Juventus manager Fabio Capello commented in 2016: "At the beginning of his first spell at Juventus [...] I noticed that he was weaker than I thought when he had to kick the ball and was not very strong in the air. Ibrahimovic [sic] loved making assists more than scoring goals. I wanted him to become more ruthless in front of goal and improve his finishing. He had the same technical skills as Van Basten and I made him watch some videos of him to improve his finishing. I told him to watch Van Basten's movements inside the area and the way he used to score goals. Ibra got it straight away; I think results are out there to prove it. He is a very humble guy and he worked every day to improve. He's proud of himself too, he loves being the best."


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Although Ibrahimović has been criticised at times in the media for being inconsistent in high pressure situations, and for his limited work-rate and poor performances in big matches, in particular in his youth, throughout his career he has scored in some of the biggest matches in football; these include the Derby della Madonnina and the Derby d'Italia in Italy, El Clásico, El Otro Clásico, and the Catalan Derbi barceloní in Spain, Le Classique in France, De Klassieker and De Topper in the Netherlands, and the Manchester Derby and North-West Derby in England, as well as UEFA Champions League and UEFA European Championship games against some of the strongest opponents in European football. He has also scored in the Helsingborgs IF–Malmö FF "Skånederby" in Sweden, and in "El Tráfico" and the "California Clásico" in the United States. Moreover, in addition to being a prolific striker, he has also been highly successful throughout his career, winning numerous titles in several countries; additionally, he is the only player to have scored for six different clubs in the Champions League. Known for his strong mentality and leadership, as well as his extroverted and highly competitive personality, despite his success, he has been criticised in the media for his arrogance, aggression and rebellious character, as well as his lack of discipline on the pitch, in particular in his early career, which has led him to involved in confrontations with other players, some of his managers and even reporters. Ibrahimović has frequently been compared to Dutchman Marco van Basten, due to their similar playing styles, physiques, and proclivity for scoring from powerful shots and volleys; despite this comparison, Ibrahimović has stated that his main influence was his idol, former Brazilian forward Ronaldo, whom he regards as the greatest player of all time. He has also been likened to the enigmatic French former footballer Eric Cantona, who also played for Manchester United.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 27 November 2019, it was announced that Ibrahimović had bought 23.5 percent of the shares in Hammarby IF, a Swedish top flight club from Stockholm. The seller was Anschutz Entertainment Group, also the owner of his former club LA Galaxy, who reduced their stake in Hammarby by half. In Sweden, all sport teams in the league systems are regulated to be nonprofit organizations, which means that a majority of the voting rights, or 51 percent, is still controlled by the members of the club. Fans of Malmö FF, who were unhappy with Ibrahimović's investment in another Swedish club, have vandalised his statue in Malmö on numerous occasions.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović has been involved in several violent incidents with teammates. When he was playing for Malmö FF's junior team, Ibrahimović headbutted a teammate after he was tackled by him during a training session. The teammate's father, a police officer, wanted the other players to sign a petition to expel Ibrahimović from the team. After a 2004 international friendly against the Netherlands, Ajax teammate Rafael van der Vaart publicly accused Ibrahimović of deliberately injuring him during the game. Ibrahimović responded by threatening to break both of van der Vaart's legs. Ibrahimović also reportedly punched Ajax teammate Mido in the dressing room after the latter had thrown a pair of scissors at him.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: During his spell at Barcelona, Ibrahimović had a falling-out with coach Pep Guardiola, culminating in a dressing room incident in which Ibrahimović allegedly threw a training-kit box across the room and screamed insults at Guardiola. Guardiola eventually refused to speak to Ibrahimović and loaned him out to Milan. Barcelona vice president Carles Vilarrubi further revealed that Ibrahimović had threatened to publicly beat up Guardiola if he was not released to Milan. Ibrahimović stated that Pep Guardiola was "not a man" during an interview with CNN in November 2015.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In 2010, Ibrahimović was involved in a training-ground fist-fight with Milan teammate Oguchi Onyewu, after Ibrahimović had made a two-footed tackle on Onyewu, followed by a headbutt. The two were separated and the session prematurely abandoned, with Ibrahimović suffering a broken rib in the fracas. Both players had accused one of insulting the other. In March 2011, Ibrahimović was given a three-match ban for punching Bari defender Marco Rossi in the stomach during a game. He received another three-match ban in February 2012 for slapping Napoli player Salvatore Aronica. In 2011, Ibrahimović kicked teammate Antonio Cassano in the head while Cassano was speaking to reporters.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In November 2012, while with Paris Saint-Germain, Ibrahimović received a two-match ban for kicking Saint-Étienne goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier in the chest. In December 2012, he was accused by Lyon defender Dejan Lovren and president Jean-Michel Aulas of deliberately stamping on Lovren's head. Lovren suggested the reason Ibrahimović had escaped punishment was due to his "superstar status". In February 2013, UEFA handed Ibrahimović a two-match ban for stamping on Valencia winger Andrés Guardado. In March 2013, PSG winger Lucas Moura claimed that Ibrahimović regularly insulted teammates, stating, "He always asks for the ball and insults a lot. He is sometimes a bit arrogant and complains." Moura later claimed, however, that the interview was twisted and badly translated. In May 2013, Ibrahimović was filmed screaming at PSG sporting director Leonardo after the club's title victory.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Lyon coach Hubert Fournier accused Ibrahimović of abusing officials, stating in January 2015 that "all the referees in this league get insulted by this person". Two months later, following a Ligue 1 loss to Bordeaux, Ibrahimović was recorded ranting about the level of officiating in the match, proclaiming: "In 15 years I've never seen a [good] referee in this shit country ... [they] don't even deserve PSG." He later apologised, but was criticised by French politicians, and Ligue 1 imposed a four-match ban.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In 2013, Ibrahimović came under fire from the Sweden women's national team for an interview published on Christmas Day by tabloid "Expressen", in which he had commented about the disparity of achievements by, and the treatment of, male and female footballers. His former teammate Anders Svensson had been rewarded with a car for becoming Sweden's most-capped player that year, but Therese Sjögran had received no such reward for doing likewise for the women's team, despite owning 41 more caps (187 to 146) than Svensson at the time. Ibrahimović's response to the issue was that Sweden would be "devaluing" Svensson "by comparing him with the ladies' individual achievements. They can get a bike with my autograph on it and then we're good." Coach Pia Sundhage replied that his comments were "sad and unfortunate" and epitomised "failings in the basic values of male football", while Sjögran said, "I understand him when he says that the men's national team brings in more money and exposure. That's true. But this is about respect."


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 21 May 2018, Ibrahimović was sent off for slapping Montreal Impact player Michael Petrasso in the head, after the latter had stepped on his foot. In April 2019, Real Salt Lake defender Nedum Onuoha accused Ibrahimović of foul play and threats to injure him during a game, calling him "arrogant", "disrespectful", and "a complete thug". In May 2019, Ibrahimović received a two-match ban for violent conduct, after he had grabbed New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson by the neck.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 20 July 2019, Ibrahimović elbowed Mohamed El Monir during a match with the LA Galaxy against Los Angeles FC, then had an altercation after the match with their goalkeeping coach Zak Abdel, telling him: "Go home. You little bitch. Go home". More controversy followed suit when, following Galaxy's loss to crosstown rivals Los Angeles in the playoffs, Ibrahimović was seen making obscene gestures towards heckling fans as he left the pitch. In November 2019, Ibrahimović bought a 23.5% stake in Stockholm-based club Hammarby, who were the rivals of the striker's boyhood team, Malmö FF. In a statement, Ibrahimović expressed his admiration for the club and its fans, and how he was excited for the opportunity to support "one of the most interesting and influential clubs in Sweden." However, this investment decision infuriated many fans of Malmö who considered it a betrayal, and they vandalized his bronze statue and set it ablaze. Ibrahimović responded to the incident by claiming that the decision had nothing to do with where he began his career.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović received a one-match ban following an altercation with former teammate Romelu Lukaku in his side's Coppa Italia fixture against Inter Milan in January 2021, in which pitchside microphones picked up Ibrahimović repeatedly telling Lukaku, "Go do your voodoo shit", calling him a "little donkey", and telling him to "call [his] mother". Ibrahimović denied accusations of racism, posting on Twitter: "there is no place for racism." An investigation was opened by the Italian Football Federation, with a potential ten-match ban for Ibrahimović if found guilty of racial abuse. However, it was reported in March that he had been cleared of the charge, as the incident was deemed purely unsportsmanlike and only warranted a fine.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In April 2021, Ibrahimović was investigated by UEFA over alleged financial interest in a betting company called "Bethard". A month later, he was fined €50,000 by UEFA for breaking disciplinary regulations related to his interest in the aforementioned betting company.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović has one sibling (Sanela) and four half-siblings. His longtime partner is Helena Seger, with whom he has two sons: Maximilian (born 22 September 2006) and Vincent (born 6 March 2008). He used to reside outside Los Angeles when he played for LA Galaxy. However, he still has a home in Malmö, where he spends his summers. Ibrahimović received an honorary black belt in taekwondo; he attended classes at the Malmö Taekwondo club "Enighet" ("Unity") as a child. Ibrahimović is fluent in five languages: Swedish, Bosnian, English, Spanish and Italian. He has stated that he was raised as a Catholic. Ibrahimović often refers to himself in the third person.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: The name "Zlatan" was trademarked in May 2003 at the Swedish Patent and Registration Office for "most likely being perceived as Zlatan Ibrahimović", meaning he receives exclusive rights to the name for certain products, including sporting goods, clothing, and shoes.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović is under contract with Nike and features in their television advertising where he has appeared alongside other players endorsed by the company, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Wayne Rooney. He wears the Nike Mercurial boot line and has the names and dates of birth of his sons embedded onto the external sides of his boots. In late 2007, Ibrahimović, with the help of Nike, self-funded Zlatan Court in the streets of the city district Rosengård in his hometown Malmö: he provided a playing mat, goalposts, lighting and a modern fence. In 2008, he donated new Nike kits to his youth club, FBK Balkan.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In a February 2011 interview, Ibrahimović stated that the boxer Muhammad Ali is one of his role models, going on to say: "One of my idols in sport and outside the sport also [sic]...he believed in his [principles] and he never gave [them] up." While in Malmö with the national team in September 2012, Ibrahimović was honoured with the inscription of his name on the city's "Walk of Fame of Sports". The Swedish Post Office issued a set of five postage stamps featuring Ibrahimović in March 2014. Ibrahimović features in EA Sports' "FIFA" video game series, and was the fourth highest rated player in "FIFA 15".


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 11 August 2014, Ibrahimović paid US $51,000 to send the Swedish national football team for the intellectually disabled to the INAS World Football Championships in Brazil. After teammates Johan Elmander, Kim Källström, Andreas Isaksson and Per Nilsson donated autographed jerseys to be auctioned off for the cause, Ibrahimović responded, "What the hell are you going to do with a shirt? How much is it to go?". In a league match against Caen on 14 February 2015, Ibrahimović took off his shirt after scoring a goal to unveil the removable tattooed names of 50 people suffering from hunger around the world, in a gesture to raise awareness for famine in accordance with the United Nations World Food Programme.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Active on social media, Zlatan has over 55 million Instagram followers, the most for a Swede. Independent Swedish film production company Auto Images released the sports documentary "Becoming Zlatan" in February 2016 which follows Ibrahimović through his formative years with Malmö FF and Ajax all the way to his breakthrough with Juventus in 2005. The film has been featured at several film festivals including the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Helsinki Documentary Film Festival and the Rouen Nordic Film Festival amongst others. He does not drink alcohol.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In 2018, Ibrahimović mentioned that his wife only allows him to hang one picture of himself at home: "My wife does not allow me to have pictures of myself", then added, "There is one of my feet on the wall. That is what has given us what we have, it is a reminder for the family, not for me, of what we have."


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 8 October 2019, a statue of Ibrahimović was unveiled in his hometown, outside Malmö's Stadion. The statue, created by Peter Linde, is tall and weighs almost .


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: Ibrahimović was born to a Bosniak Muslim father, Šefik Ibrahimović, and a Croat Catholic mother, Jurka Gravić; his parents were immigrants to Sweden from SFR Yugoslavia–Šefik from Bijeljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina and Jurka from near Škabrnja, SR Croatia–and met for the first time in Sweden. Ibrahimović's parents divorced when he was a child, and although his upbringing was divided between them, he spent more time with his father: "I had time with my mother but I really lived with my father." Relatives on both sides of his family were killed in the Bosnian War of the early 1990s. He has said in a 2012 interview with PSG that: "My father is Muslim, my mother is Catholic, but none of that has anything to do with football. I received a special education. I'm me and football is a religion in its own right, and everyone is welcome..." Ibrahimović was incensed in 2005 when Italian media attempted to build interest in a Juventus–Inter match by describing it as a "mini Balkan War" between himself and Serbian opponent Siniša Mihajlović. He said that he had no interest in nationalism, partially due to his mixed Bosniak-Croat parentage and his younger half-brother being fathered by a Serb.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: In an interview with CNN on 24 November 2015, he stressed that his Muslim background was "not a factor" in fans' perception of him: "For me, it didn't change (anything) because my father is Muslim and my mother is Catholic... For me it is all about respect. That's how I grew up and the way I learned to be. This is what I am." Nevertheless he later described himself as a "deeply faithful Catholic". The Malmö-based television presenter Teddy Landén, who was interviewed for the same documentary, noted Ibrahimović's choice of shirt name following his 2001 transfer to Ajax. He believed that the player changed from having Zlatan to having Ibrahimović on his jersey to honour his background and show to children from Rosengård and Malmö in general: 'If I can do it, you can do it.'" In Ibrahimović's autobiography, he says that this change was only because his relationship with his father had improved at the time.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: On 18 February 2021, during a Europa League Round of 32 match between Red Star Belgrade and Milan at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, Ibrahimović was subjected to racism by the Red Star fans. Ibrahimović, who did not play the match, watched the game from the stands and jumped to celebrate once Milan scored, when a fan shouted insults at him, including ""balija""—an ethnic slur targeting Bosnian Muslims. The match was played behind the closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a few supporters were allowed to spectate from a VIP box. Red Star Belgrade issued an apology and condemned the insults; however, UEFA opened an investigation of the incident nevertheless. On 14 April 2021, the club was fined €30,000 and ordered to play a home game in European competition behind closed doors.


title: Zlatan Ibrahimović

text: His surname is tattooed in Arabic on the back of his right arm, the names of his sons Vincent and Maximilian on his right arm. He has the common Buddhist "Five Deva Faces Yantra" representing wind, water, fire, creative perception and space, arranged in a way believed to ward off illness and injury, on his lower back, in addition to a roaring lion. Another Buddhist tattoo, a "Yant Prajao Khao Nirote" is a protective emblem intended to end the suffering of a family, is on his upper right arm. The phrase 'Only God can judge me' is tattooed on his ribcage. He also has a feather, a Koi fish, Polynesian tribal, and ace of hearts and clubs.


title: Muhammad

text: Muhammad (;  570 – 8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious, social, and political leader and the founder of Islam. According to Islamic doctrine, he was a prophet divinely inspired to preach and confirm the monotheistic teachings of Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and other prophets. He is believed to be the Seal of the Prophets within Islam. Muhammad united Arabia into a single Muslim polity, with the Quran as well as his teachings and practices forming the basis of Islamic religious belief.


title: Muhammad

text: Muhammad was born approximately 570CE in Mecca. He was the son of Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib and Amina bint Wahb. His father Abdullah was the son of Quraysh tribal leader Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim, and he died a few months before Muhammad's birth. His mother Amina died when he was six, leaving Muhammad an orphan. He was raised under the care of his grandfather, Abd al-Muttalib, and paternal uncle, Abu Talib. In later years, he would periodically seclude himself in a mountain cave named Hira for several nights of prayer. When he was 40, Muhammad reported being visited by Gabriel in the cave and receiving his first revelation from God. In 613, Muhammad started preaching these revelations publicly, proclaiming that "God is One", that complete "submission" ("islām") to God is the right way of life ("dīn"), and that he was a prophet and messenger of God, similar to the other prophets in Islam.


title: Muhammad

text: Muhammad's followers were initially few in number, and experienced hostility from Meccan polytheists for 13 years. To escape ongoing persecution, he sent some of his followers to Abyssinia in 615, before he and his followers migrated from Mecca to Medina (then known as Yathrib) later in 622. This event, the "Hijra", marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar, also known as the Hijri Calendar. In Medina, Muhammad united the tribes under the Constitution of Medina. In December 629, after eight years of intermittent fighting with Meccan tribes, Muhammad gathered an army of 10,000 Muslim converts and marched on the city of Mecca. The conquest went largely uncontested and Muhammad seized the city with little bloodshed. In 632, a few months after returning from the Farewell Pilgrimage, he fell ill and died. By the time of his death, most of the Arabian Peninsula had converted to Islam.


title: Muhammad

text: The revelations (each known as "Ayah —" literally, "Sign [of God]") that Muhammad reported receiving until his death form the verses of the Quran, regarded by Muslims as the verbatim "Word of God" on which the religion is based. Besides the Quran, Muhammad's teachings and practices ("sunnah"), found in the Hadith and "sira" (biography) literature, are also upheld and used as sources of Islamic law (see Sharia).


title: Muhammad

text: The name "Muhammad" () means "praiseworthy" in Arabic. It appears four times in the Quran. The Quran also addresses Muhammad in the second person by various appellations; prophet, messenger, servant of God ("'abd"), announcer ("bashir"), witness ("shahid"), bearer of good tidings ("mubashshir"), warner ("nathir"), reminder ("mudhakkir"), one who calls [unto God] ("dā'ī"), light personified ("noor"), and the light-giving lamp ("siraj munir").


title: Muhammad

text: The Quran is the central religious text of Islam. Muslims believe it represents the words of God revealed by the archangel Gabriel to Muhammad. The Quran, however, provides minimal assistance for Muhammad's chronological biography; most Quranic verses do not provide significant historical context.


title: Muhammad

text: Important sources regarding Muhammad's life may be found in the historic works by writers of the 2nd and 3rd centuries of the Muslim era (AH – 8th and 9th century CE). These include traditional Muslim biographies of Muhammad, which provide additional information about Muhammad's life.


title: Muhammad

text: The earliest written "sira" (biographies of Muhammad and quotes attributed to him) is Ibn Ishaq's "Life of God's Messenger" written c. 767 CE (150 AH). Although the original work was lost, this sira survives as extensive excerpts in works by Ibn Hisham and to a lesser extent by Al-Tabari. However, Ibn Hisham wrote in the preface to his biography of Muhammad that he omitted matters from Ibn Ishaq's biography that "would distress certain people". Another early history source is the history of Muhammad's campaigns by al-Waqidi (death 207 AH), and the work of Waqidi's secretary Ibn Sa'd al-Baghdadi (death 230 AH).


title: Muhammad

text: Many scholars accept these early biographies as authentic, though their accuracy is unascertainable. Recent studies have led scholars to distinguish between traditions touching legal matters and purely historical events. In the legal group, traditions could have been subject to invention while historic events, aside from exceptional cases, may have been only subject to "tendential shaping".


title: Muhammad

text: Other important sources include the hadith collections, accounts of verbal and physical teachings and traditions attributed to Muhammad. Hadiths were compiled several generations after his death by Muslims including Muhammad al-Bukhari, Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, Muhammad ibn Isa at-Tirmidhi, Abd ar-Rahman al-Nasai, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Malik ibn Anas, al-Daraqutni.


title: Muhammad

text: Some Western academics cautiously view the hadith collections as accurate historical sources. Scholars such as Madelung do not reject the narrations which have been compiled in later periods, but judge them in the context of history and on the basis of their compatibility with the events and figures. Muslim scholars on the other hand typically place a greater emphasis on the hadith literature instead of the biographical literature, since hadiths maintain a traditional chain of transmission (isnad); the lack of such a chain for the biographical literature makes it unverifiable in their eyes.


title: Muhammad

text: The Arabian Peninsula was, and still is, largely arid with volcanic soil, making agriculture difficult except near oases or springs. Towns and cities dotted the landscape, two of the most prominent being Mecca and Medina. Medina was a large flourishing agricultural settlement, while Mecca was an important financial center for many surrounding tribes. Communal life was essential for survival in the desert conditions, supporting indigenous tribes against the harsh environment and lifestyle. Tribal affiliation, whether based on kinship or alliances, was an important source of social cohesion. Indigenous Arabs were either nomadic or sedentary. Nomadic groups constantly traveled seeking water and pasture for their flocks, while the sedentary settled and focused on trade and agriculture. Nomadic survival also depended on raiding caravans or oases; nomads did not view this as a crime.


title: Muhammad

text: In pre-Islamic Arabia, gods or goddesses were viewed as protectors of individual tribes, their spirits associated with sacred trees, stones, springs and wells. As well as being the site of an annual pilgrimage, the Kaaba shrine in Mecca housed 360 idols of tribal patron deities. Three goddesses were worshipped, in some places as daughters of Allah: Allāt, Manāt and al-'Uzzá. Monotheistic communities existed in Arabia, including Christians and Jews. Hanifs – native pre-Islamic Arabs who "professed a rigid monotheism" – are also sometimes listed alongside Jews and Christians in pre-Islamic Arabia, although scholars dispute their historicity. According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad himself was a Hanif and one of the descendants of Ishmael, son of Abraham, although no known evidence exists for a historical Abraham or Ishmael, and the links are based solely on tradition instead of historical records.


title: Muhammad

text: The second half of the sixth century was a period of political disorder in Arabia and communication routes were no longer secure. Religious divisions were an important cause of the crisis. Judaism became the dominant religion in Yemen while Christianity took root in the Persian Gulf area. In line with broader trends of the ancient world, the region witnessed a decline in the practice of polytheistic cults and a growing interest in a more spiritual form of religion. While many were reluctant to convert to a foreign faith, those faiths provided intellectual and spiritual reference points.


title: Muhammad

text: During the early years of Muhammad's life, the Quraysh tribe to which he belonged became a dominant force in western Arabia. They formed the cult association of "hums", which tied members of many tribes in western Arabia to the Kaaba and reinforced the prestige of the Meccan sanctuary. To counter the effects of anarchy, Quraysh upheld the institution of sacred months during which all violence was forbidden, and it was possible to participate in pilgrimages and fairs without danger. Thus, although the association of "hums" was primarily religious, it also had important economic consequences for the city.


title: Muhammad

text: Abu al-Qasim Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abd al-Muttalib ibn Hashim was born in Mecca about the year 570 and his birthday is believed to be in the month of Rabi' al-awwal. He belonged to the Banu Hashim clan, part of the Quraysh tribe, which was one of Mecca's prominent families, although it appears less prosperous during Muhammad's early lifetime. Tradition places the year of Muhammad's birth as corresponding with the Year of the Elephant, which is named after the failed destruction of Mecca that year by the Abraha, Yemen's king, who supplemented his army with elephants.


title: Muhammad

text: Muhammad's father, Abdullah, died almost six months before he was born. According to Islamic tradition, soon after birth he was sent to live with a Bedouin family in the desert, as desert life was considered healthier for infants; some western scholars reject this tradition's historicity. Muhammad stayed with his foster-mother, Halimah bint Abi Dhuayb, and her husband until he was two years old. At the age of six, Muhammad lost his biological mother Amina to illness and became an orphan. For the next two years, until he was eight years old, Muhammad was under the guardianship of his paternal grandfather Abd al-Muttalib, of the Banu Hashim clan until his death. He then came under the care of his uncle Abu Talib, the new leader of the Banu Hashim. According to Islamic historian William Montgomery Watt there was a general disregard by guardians in taking care of weaker members of the tribes in Mecca during the 6th century, "Muhammad's guardians saw that he did not starve to death, but it was hard for them to do more for him, especially as the fortunes of the clan of Hashim seem to have been declining at that time."


title: Muhammad

text: In his teens, Muhammad accompanied his uncle on Syrian trading journeys to gain experience in commercial trade. Islamic tradition states that when Muhammad was either nine or twelve while accompanying the Meccans' caravan to Syria, he met a Christian monk or hermit named Bahira who is said to have foreseen Muhammad's career as a prophet of God.


title: Muhammad

text: Little is known of Muhammad during his later youth as available information is fragmented, making it difficult to separate history from legend. It is known that he became a merchant and "was involved in trade between the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea." Due to his upright character he acquired the nickname "al-Amin" (Arabic: الامين), meaning "faithful, trustworthy" and "al-Sadiq" meaning "truthful" and was sought out as an impartial arbitrator. His reputation attracted a proposal in 595 from Khadijah, a successful businesswoman. Muhammad consented to the marriage, which by all accounts was a happy one.


title: Muhammad

text: Several years later, according to a narration collected by historian Ibn Ishaq, Muhammad was involved with a well-known story about setting the Black Stone in place in the wall of the Kaaba in 605 CE. The Black Stone, a sacred object, was removed during renovations to the Kaaba. The Meccan leaders could not agree which clan should return the Black Stone to its place. They decided to ask the next man who came through the gate to make that decision; that man was the 35-year-old Muhammad. This event happened five years before the first revelation by Gabriel to him. He asked for a cloth and laid the Black Stone in its center. The clan leaders held the corners of the cloth and together carried the Black Stone to the right spot, then Muhammad laid the stone, satisfying the honor of all.


title: Muhammad

text: Sahih Bukhari narrates Muhammad describing his revelations as "sometimes it is (revealed) like the ringing of a bell". Aisha reported, "I saw the Prophet being inspired Divinely on a very cold day and noticed the sweat dropping from his forehead (as the Inspiration was over)". According to Welch these descriptions may be considered genuine, since they are unlikely to have been forged by later Muslims. Muhammad was confident that he could distinguish his own thoughts from these messages. According to the Quran, one of the main roles of Muhammad is to warn the unbelievers of their eschatological punishment (, ). Occasionally the Quran did not explicitly refer to Judgment day but provided examples from the history of extinct communities and warns Muhammad's contemporaries of similar calamities. Muhammad did not only warn those who rejected God's revelation, but also dispensed good news for those who abandoned evil, listening to the divine words and serving God. Muhammad's mission also involves preaching monotheism: The Quran commands Muhammad to proclaim and praise the name of his Lord and instructs him not to worship idols or associate other deities with God.


title: Muhammad

text: The key themes of the early Quranic verses included the responsibility of man towards his creator; the resurrection of the dead, God's final judgment followed by vivid descriptions of the tortures in Hell and pleasures in Paradise, and the signs of God in all aspects of life. Religious duties required of the believers at this time were few: belief in God, asking for forgiveness of sins, offering frequent prayers, assisting others particularly those in need, rejecting cheating and the love of wealth (considered to be significant in the commercial life of Mecca), being chaste and not committing female infanticide.


title: Muhammad

text: According to Muslim tradition, Muhammad's wife Khadija was the first to believe he was a prophet. She was followed by Muhammad's ten-year-old cousin Ali ibn Abi Talib, close friend Abu Bakr, and adopted son Zaid. Around 613, Muhammad began to preach to the public. Most Meccans ignored and mocked him, though a few became his followers. There were three main groups of early converts to Islam: younger brothers and sons of great merchants; people who had fallen out of the first rank in their tribe or failed to attain it; and the weak, mostly unprotected foreigners.


title: Muhammad

text: According to Ibn Saad, opposition in Mecca started when Muhammad delivered verses that condemned idol worship and the polytheism practiced by the Meccan forefathers. However, the Quranic exegesis maintains that it began as Muhammad started public preaching. As his followers increased, Muhammad became a threat to the local tribes and rulers of the city, whose wealth rested upon the Kaaba, the focal point of Meccan religious life that Muhammad threatened to overthrow. Muhammad's denunciation of the Meccan traditional religion was especially offensive to his own tribe, the Quraysh, as they were the guardians of the Kaaba. Powerful merchants attempted to convince Muhammad to abandon his preaching; he was offered admission to the inner circle of merchants, as well as an advantageous marriage. He refused both of these offers.


title: Muhammad

text: Tradition records at great length the persecution and ill-treatment towards Muhammad and his followers. Sumayyah bint Khayyat, a slave of a prominent Meccan leader Abu Jahl, is famous as the first martyr of Islam; killed with a spear by her master when she refused to give up her faith. Bilal, another Muslim slave, was tortured by Umayyah ibn Khalaf who placed a heavy rock on his chest to force his conversion.


title: Muhammad

text: In 615, some of Muhammad's followers emigrated to the Ethiopian Kingdom of Aksum and founded a small colony under the protection of the Christian Ethiopian emperor Aṣḥama ibn Abjar. Ibn Sa'ad mentions two separate migrations. According to him, most of the Muslims returned to Mecca prior to Hijra, while a second group rejoined them in Medina. Ibn Hisham and Tabari, however, only talk about one migration to Ethiopia. These accounts agree that Meccan persecution played a major role in Muhammad's decision to suggest that a number of his followers seek refuge among the Christians in Abyssinia. According to the famous letter of ʿUrwa preserved in al-Tabari, the majority of Muslims returned to their native town as Islam gained strength and as high ranking Meccans, such as Umar and Hamzah, converted.


title: Muhammad

text: However, there is a completely different story on the reason why the Muslims returned from Ethiopia to Mecca. According to this account—initially mentioned by Al-Waqidi then rehashed by Ibn Sa'ad and Tabari, but not by Ibn Hisham and not by Ibn Ishaq. Muhammad, desperately hoping for an accommodation with his tribe, pronounced a verse acknowledging the existence of three Meccan goddesses considered to be the daughters of Allah. Muhammad retracted the verses the next day at the behest of Gabriel, claiming that the verses were whispered by the devil himself. Instead, a ridicule of these gods was offered. This episode, known as "The Story of the Cranes," is also known as "Satanic Verses". According to the story, this led to a general reconciliation between Muhammad and the Meccans, and the Abyssinia Muslims began to return home. When they arrived Gabriel had informed Muhammad that the two verses were not part of the revelation, but had been inserted by Satan. Notable scholars at the time argued against the historic authenticity of these verses and the story itself on various grounds. Al-Waqidi was severely criticized by Islamic scholars such as Malik ibn Anas, al-Shafi'i, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Nasa'i, al-Bukhari, Abu Dawood, Al-Nawawi and others as a liar and forger. Later, the incident received some acceptance among certain groups, though strong objections to it continued onwards past the tenth century. The objections continued until rejection of these verses and the story itself eventually became the only acceptable orthodox Muslim position.


title: Muhammad

text: In 616 (or 617), the leaders of Makhzum and Banu Abd-Shams, two important Quraysh clans, declared a public boycott against Banu Hashim, their commercial rival, to pressure it into withdrawing its protection of Muhammad. The boycott lasted three years but eventually collapsed as it failed in its objective. During this time, Muhammad was able to preach only during the holy pilgrimage months in which all hostilities between Arabs were suspended.


title: Muhammad

text: Islamic tradition states that in 620, Muhammad experienced the "Isra and Mi'raj", a miraculous night-long journey said to have occurred with the angel Gabriel. At the journey's beginning, the "Isra", he is said to have traveled from Mecca on a winged steed to "the farthest mosque." Later, during the "Mi'raj", Muhammad is said to have toured heaven and hell, and spoke with earlier prophets, such as Abraham, Moses, and Jesus. Ibn Ishaq, author of the first biography of Muhammad, presents the event as a spiritual experience; later historians, such as Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir, present it as a physical journey.


title: Muhammad

text: Some western scholars hold that the Isra and Mi'raj journey traveled through the heavens from the sacred enclosure at Mecca to the celestial "al-Baytu l-Maʿmur" (heavenly prototype of the Kaaba); later traditions indicate Muhammad's journey as having been from Mecca to Jerusalem.


title: Muhammad

text: Muhammad's wife Khadijah and uncle Abu Talib both died in 619, the year thus being known as the "Year of Sorrow". With the death of Abu Talib, leadership of the Banu Hashim clan passed to Abu Lahab, a tenacious enemy of Muhammad. Soon afterward, Abu Lahab withdrew the clan's protection over Muhammad. This placed Muhammad in danger; the withdrawal of clan protection implied that blood revenge for his killing would not be exacted. Muhammad then visited Ta'if, another important city in Arabia, and tried to find a protector, but his effort failed and further brought him into physical danger. Muhammad was forced to return to Mecca. A Meccan man named Mut'im ibn Adi (and the protection of the tribe of Banu Nawfal) made it possible for him to safely re-enter his native city.


title: Muhammad

text: Many people visited Mecca on business or as pilgrims to the Kaaba. Muhammad took this opportunity to look for a new home for himself and his followers. After several unsuccessful negotiations, he found hope with some men from Yathrib (later called Medina). The Arab population of Yathrib were familiar with monotheism and were prepared for the appearance of a prophet because a Jewish community existed there. They also hoped, by the means of Muhammad and the new faith, to gain supremacy over Mecca; the Yathrib were jealous of its importance as the place of pilgrimage. Converts to Islam came from nearly all Arab tribes in Medina; by June of the subsequent year, seventy-five Muslims came to Mecca for pilgrimage and to meet Muhammad. Meeting him secretly by night, the group made what is known as the ""Second Pledge of al-'Aqaba"", or, in Orientalists' view, the ""Pledge of War"". Following the pledges at Aqabah, Muhammad encouraged his followers to emigrate to Yathrib. As with the migration to Abyssinia, the Quraysh attempted to stop the emigration. However, almost all Muslims managed to leave.


title: Muhammad

text: The Hijra is the migration of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE. In June 622, warned of a plot to assassinate him, Muhammad secretly slipped out of Mecca and moved his followers to Medina, north of Mecca.


title: Muhammad

text: A delegation, consisting of the representatives of the twelve important clans of Medina, invited Muhammad to serve as chief arbitrator for the entire community; due to his status as a neutral outsider. There was fighting in Yathrib: primarily the dispute involved its Arab and Jewish inhabitants, and was estimated to have lasted for around a hundred years before 620. The recurring slaughters and disagreements over the resulting claims, especially after the Battle of Bu'ath in which all clans were involved, made it obvious to them that the tribal concept of blood-feud and an eye for an eye were no longer workable unless there was one man with authority to adjudicate in disputed cases. The delegation from Medina pledged themselves and their fellow-citizens to accept Muhammad into their community and physically protect him as one of themselves.


title: Muhammad

text: Muhammad instructed his followers to emigrate to Medina, until nearly all his followers left Mecca. Being alarmed at the departure, according to tradition, the Meccans plotted to assassinate Muhammad. With the help of Ali, Muhammad fooled the Meccans watching him, and secretly slipped away from the town with Abu Bakr. By 622, Muhammad emigrated to Medina, a large agricultural oasis. Those who migrated from Mecca along with Muhammad became known as "muhajirun" (emigrants).


title: Muhammad

text: Among the first things Muhammad did to ease the longstanding grievances among the tribes of Medina was to draft a document known as the Constitution of Medina, "establishing a kind of alliance or federation" among the eight Medinan tribes and Muslim emigrants from Mecca; this specified rights and duties of all citizens, and the relationship of the different communities in Medina (including the Muslim community to other communities, specifically the Jews and other "Peoples of the Book"). The community defined in the Constitution of Medina, "Ummah", had a religious outlook, also shaped by practical considerations and substantially preserved the legal forms of the old Arab tribes.


title: Muhammad

text: The first group of converts to Islam in Medina were the clans without great leaders; these clans had been subjugated by hostile leaders from outside. This was followed by the general acceptance of Islam by the pagan population of Medina, with some exceptions. According to Ibn Ishaq, this was influenced by the conversion of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh (a prominent Medinan leader) to Islam. Medinans who converted to Islam and helped the Muslim emigrants find shelter became known as the "ansar" (supporters). Then Muhammad instituted brotherhood between the emigrants and the supporters and he chose Ali as his own brother.


title: Muhammad

text: Following the emigration, the people of Mecca seized property of Muslim emigrants to Medina. War would later break out between the people of Mecca and the Muslims. Muhammad delivered Quranic verses permitting Muslims to fight the Meccans. According to the traditional account, on 11 February 624, while praying in the Masjid al-Qiblatayn in Medina, Muhammad received revelations from God that he should be facing Mecca rather than Jerusalem during prayer. Muhammad adjusted to the new direction, and his companions praying with him followed his lead, beginning the tradition of facing Mecca during prayer.


title: Muhammad

text: Muhammad ordered a number of raids to capture Meccan caravans, but only the 8th of them, the Raid of Nakhla, resulted in actual fighting and capture of booty and prisoners. In March 624, Muhammad led some three hundred warriors in a raid on a Meccan merchant caravan. The Muslims set an ambush for the caravan at Badr. Aware of the plan, the Meccan caravan eluded the Muslims. A Meccan force was sent to protect the caravan and went on to confront the Muslims upon receiving word that the caravan was safe. The Battle of Badr commenced. Though outnumbered more than three to one, the Muslims won the battle, killing at least forty-five Meccans with fourteen Muslims dead. They also succeeded in killing many Meccan leaders, including Abu Jahl. Seventy prisoners had been acquired, many of whom were ransomed. Muhammad and his followers saw the victory as confirmation of their faith and Muhammad ascribed the victory to the assistance of an invisible host of angels. The Quranic verses of this period, unlike the Meccan verses, dealt with practical problems of government and issues like the distribution of spoils.


title: Muhammad

text: The victory strengthened Muhammad's position in Medina and dispelled earlier doubts among his followers. As a result, the opposition to him became less vocal. Pagans who had not yet converted were very bitter about the advance of Islam. Two pagans, Asma bint Marwan of the Aws Manat tribe and Abu 'Afak of the 'Amr b. 'Awf tribe, had composed verses taunting and insulting the Muslims. They were killed by people belonging to their own or related clans, and Muhammad did not disapprove of the killings. This report, however, is considered by some to be a fabrication. Most members of those tribes converted to Islam, and little pagan opposition remained.


title: Muhammad

text: Muhammad expelled from Medina the Banu Qaynuqa, one of three main Jewish tribes, but some historians contend that the expulsion happened after Muhammad's death. According to al-Waqidi, after Abd-Allah ibn Ubaiy spoke for them, Muhammad refrained from executing them and commanded that they be exiled from Medina. Following the Battle of Badr, Muhammad also made mutual-aid alliances with a number of Bedouin tribes to protect his community from attacks from the northern part of Hejaz.


title: Muhammad

text: The Meccans were eager to avenge their defeat. To maintain economic prosperity, the Meccans needed to restore their prestige, which had been reduced at Badr. In the ensuing months, the Meccans sent ambush parties to Medina while Muhammad led expeditions against tribes allied with Mecca and sent raiders onto a Meccan caravan. Abu Sufyan gathered an army of 3000 men and set out for an attack on Medina.


title: Muhammad

text: A scout alerted Muhammad of the Meccan army's presence and numbers a day later. The next morning, at the Muslim conference of war, a dispute arose over how best to repel the Meccans. Muhammad and many senior figures suggested it would be safer to fight within Medina and take advantage of the heavily fortified strongholds. Younger Muslims argued that the Meccans were destroying crops, and huddling in the strongholds would destroy Muslim prestige. Muhammad eventually conceded to the younger Muslims and readied the Muslim force for battle. Muhammad led his force outside to the mountain of Uhud (the location of the Meccan camp) and fought the Battle of Uhud on 23 March 625. Although the Muslim army had the advantage in early encounters, lack of discipline on the part of strategically placed archers led to a Muslim defeat; 75 Muslims were killed, including Hamza, Muhammad's uncle who became one of the best known martyrs in the Muslim tradition. The Meccans did not pursue the Muslims; instead, they marched back to Mecca declaring victory. The announcement is probably because Muhammad was wounded and thought dead. When they discovered that Muhammad lived, the Meccans did not return due to false information about new forces coming to his aid. The attack had failed to achieve their aim of completely destroying the Muslims. The Muslims buried the dead and returned to Medina that evening. Questions accumulated about the reasons for the loss; Muhammad delivered Quranic verses 3:152 indicating that the defeat was twofold: partly a punishment for disobedience, partly a test for steadfastness.


title: Muhammad

text: Abu Sufyan directed his effort towards another attack on Medina. He gained support from the nomadic tribes to the north and east of Medina; using propaganda about Muhammad's weakness, promises of booty, memories of Quraysh prestige and through bribery. Muhammad's new policy was to prevent alliances against him. Whenever alliances against Medina were formed, he sent out expeditions to break them up. Muhammad heard of men massing with hostile intentions against Medina, and reacted in a severe manner. One example is the assassination of Ka'b ibn al-Ashraf, a chieftain of the Jewish tribe of Banu Nadir. Al-Ashraf went to Mecca and wrote poems that roused the Meccans' grief, anger and desire for revenge after the Battle of Badr. Around a year later, Muhammad expelled the Banu Nadir from Medina forcing their emigration to Syria; he allowed them to take some possessions, as he was unable to subdue the Banu Nadir in their strongholds. The rest of their property was claimed by Muhammad in the name of God as it was not gained with bloodshed. Muhammad surprised various Arab tribes, individually, with overwhelming force, causing his enemies to unite to annihilate him. Muhammad's attempts to prevent a confederation against him were unsuccessful, though he was able to increase his own forces and stopped many potential tribes from joining his enemies.


title: Muhammad

text: With the help of the exiled Banu Nadir, the Quraysh military leader Abu Sufyan mustered a force of 10,000 men. Muhammad prepared a force of about 3,000 men and adopted a form of defense unknown in Arabia at that time; the Muslims dug a trench wherever Medina lay open to cavalry attack. The idea is credited to a Persian convert to Islam, Salman the Persian. The siege of Medina began on 31 March 627 and lasted two weeks. Abu Sufyan's troops were unprepared for the fortifications, and after an ineffectual siege, the coalition decided to return home. The Quran discusses this battle in sura Al-Ahzab, in verses 33:9–27.


title: Muhammad

text: During the battle, the Jewish tribe of Banu Qurayza, located to the south of Medina, entered into negotiations with Meccan forces to revolt against Muhammad. Although the Meccan forces were swayed by suggestions that Muhammad was sure to be overwhelmed, they desired reassurance in case the confederacy was unable to destroy him. No agreement was reached after prolonged negotiations, partly due to sabotage attempts by Muhammad's scouts. After the coalition's retreat, the Muslims accused the Banu Qurayza of treachery and besieged them in their forts for 25 days. The Banu Qurayza eventually surrendered; according to Ibn Ishaq, all the men apart from a few converts to Islam were beheaded, while the women and children were enslaved. Walid N. Arafat and Barakat Ahmad have disputed the accuracy of Ibn Ishaq's narrative. Arafat believes that Ibn Ishaq's Jewish sources, speaking over 100 years after the event, conflated this account with memories of earlier massacres in Jewish history; he notes that Ibn Ishaq was considered an unreliable historian by his contemporary Malik ibn Anas, and a transmitter of "odd tales" by the later Ibn Hajar. Ahmad argues that only some of the tribe were killed, while some of the fighters were merely enslaved. Watt finds Arafat's arguments "not entirely convincing", while Meir J. Kister has contradicted the arguments of Arafat and Ahmad.


title: Muhammad

text: In the siege of Medina, the Meccans exerted the available strength to destroy the Muslim community. The failure resulted in a significant loss of prestige; their trade with Syria vanished. Following the Battle of the Trench, Muhammad made two expeditions to the north, both ended without any fighting. While returning from one of these journeys (or some years earlier according to other early accounts), an accusation of adultery was made against Aisha, Muhammad's wife. Aisha was exonerated from accusations when Muhammad announced he had received a revelation confirming Aisha's innocence and directing that charges of adultery be supported by four eyewitnesses (sura 24, An-Nur).


title: Muhammad

text: Although Muhammad had delivered Quranic verses commanding the Hajj, the Muslims had not performed it due to Quraysh enmity. In the month of Shawwal 628, Muhammad ordered his followers to obtain sacrificial animals and to prepare for a pilgrimage ("umrah") to Mecca, saying that God had promised him the fulfillment of this goal in a vision when he was shaving his head after completion of the Hajj. Upon hearing of the approaching 1,400 Muslims, the Quraysh dispatched 200 cavalry to halt them. Muhammad evaded them by taking a more difficult route, enabling his followers to reach al-Hudaybiyya just outside Mecca. According to Watt, although Muhammad's decision to make the pilgrimage was based on his dream, he was also demonstrating to the pagan Meccans that Islam did not threaten the prestige of the sanctuaries, that Islam was an Arabian religion.