Today analysis: What were the main reasons why the king of most spectacular goals Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasn’t up there with Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

LuckyScout78

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Today I am going to analyze and write about what were the main reasons why the king of most acrobatic and spectacular goals in football history Zlatan Ibrahimovic up there with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo?

Like we all now Lionel Messi got 8 Ballon D’or and Cristiano Ronaldo got 5. And why and what did Zlatan to got up there with those 2?


There are many small reasons. That were contributed to Zlatan and those 2 top top players. But I will only focus and write about 4 main reasons. Why I think and believe Zlatan were lacking and missing.


There were 3 main reasons:


1.The invisible factor and reason: The bank of good karma and luck

+ Zlatan didn’t play for a owner and club that play most money to get the football players out there. Like Real Madrid were buying the best football players out there. All back to Zidane, Kaka, Brazil Ronaldo, Modric, Bale and etc etc.

And I think average wages of Ronaldo and Messi were higher than Zlatan too. Having a owner and club that pay you a lot in wage. It just tell you how good karma and luck you have and how much good karma you did in the past and previous lives.

And you create your own luck and good karma. It will make things goes your way, lead and keep you on the right path. And let you avoid serious injuries.

On this subject, ingredient and reason. No doubt. Messi and Ronaldo were above Zlatan on this reason.

Like having some Saudi Arabian willing to pay you 200 millions in the end of you career. It just show how much bank of good karma and luck Ronaldo did create.

And those 2 boys bank of good karma or on the same level of kings and peoples of those highest status. Reason why they have relation and connection to each others. Law of attractions.


2.The level of and qualities of Ronaldo’s and Messi’s teammates were higher. It will increase and rise your chance to win Champion league, World cup and later Ballon D’or.

And this second reason do relate to the first reason. Like I mentioned how much the owner, president of the club and the club are willing to pay to get the best players out there. Top world class players.

Of course Zlatan did had top and some were world class players too. But the time C Ronaldo and Messi were playing at Real Madrid and Barcelona. Were just top of the cake. Even when Zlatan joining Barcelona he did said that. Playing with Messi, Iniesta, Xavi. He knew he was joining one of the best club in the world.


Now, just take a look of some of Cristiano Roanldo teammates. First at United that won champion league.


At United where he won first Ballon D’or:

Top CBs in Rio and Vidic, top CM in Scholes, Top CF in Rooney and the top Duracell CF in Tevez.

Teammates at Real Madrid: Ramos & Pepe = 2 rock solid CBs, top CMs in Modric, Casemiro and Kroos. Top attacking players in Bale.



With Lionel Messi. Where he won most Ballon D’or with Barcelona. Because of the qualities of his teammates:

Iniesta, Puyol, Macherano, Busguets, Xavi, Eto, Henry. And what happened to Messi and Barcelona after the retirement of Iniesta and Xavi. Messi didn’t win much with Barcelona then. Special in champion league.


And Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t win champion league with Juventus after Real Madrid. Because the level of his teammates at Juventus drop compare to the level of his ex teammates from Real Madrid.

Of course Zlatan joined the best club in the country and he won domestic league everywhere he was playing. But Zlatan didn’t won champion league.

And this is the one of the main reason why he didn’t. Zlatan didn’t had the same and top qualities of teammates as Ronaldo and Messi.


3.The third main reason is. “The physical “. Zlatan was lacking the top explosives and top acceleration compare to Messi and Ronaldo. Of course over a long distance Zlatan was quick too, when he comes up to his top speed.

But in football. Top acceleration and quickness in the first metres is one of the most important physical attribute of a football players.


What top acceleration and explosiveness will help and give you advantage on a football pitch?

+ It will help you to get away from aggressive defenders. And give you the space and time you need to score or got passed them.

I know Zlatan beside playing football. Was training Tae Kwon Do and had black belt. TKDo did help him with acceleration and explosiveness.

Because in TKDo and Martial arts in general. You get to have top explosives and quickness. Both with feets and hands. Why in this kind of sports. They train exercises that help and increase the explosiveness a lot. Just like in Boxing.

Like you get to be really quick and explosive to block the punch or you will get hit on the face.

So Tae Kwon Do did help Zlatan in some degree when it come to explosiveness.

And reasons why we saw some of Zlatan’s Kung fu and Bruce Lee goals on the football pitches. Zlatan brought TKDo and Kung Fu/Shaolin to football.


But the main reason and obstacle that hold back Zlatan to got the top acceleration and explosiveness was his own natural body shape. How his body was build, naturally.

Zlatan was a tall and big guy. Taller and bigger than Ronaldo and Messi.

Zlatan height: 195 cm

Ronaldo : 187 cm

Messi : 170 cm

And we all knows. The tallest guy will not be the quickest guy in the first metres.


Like in 100 m sprint for men.

Usain Bolt’s height: 195 cm


Bolt wasn’t quickest in the first metres. But Bolt over 100 will reduce the advantage, overcome and beat others sprinters.


And beside football skills. Top explosiveness and acceleration was one of Messi top attributes, advantage. The quickness in change of direction + combine with his football skills. Made it really really hard to defenders to stop and handle him, illegal.


About Cristiano Ronaldo, who I was following from his first days at Manchester United to end of his career.

How his physical body/mass was developed.

From a thinny 17 years old boy-------> to a guy and player with bigger muscle. Then he start to loss his top acceleration and explosiveness.

From a top and super quick, explosive winger-----> more to a poacher and a goalscorer/CF.



Again. Zlatan had top reaction and he was reacting and made decision really quick in his head. Because of the advantage of TWDo and martial beside playing football.

But again, compare to Messi. Zlatan didn’t had the top explosiveness and acceleration as Messi.



That were the 3 main reasons that Zlatan didn’t had, lacked, missed or whatever we call. To be up there with Messi and Ronaldo.

3 big big ingredients, reasons and factors. That did play big big part.



Without the best and top qualities teammates/best weapons in football. Both in the defend and attack. You will come short.

And without the owner that had money to buy those top weapons. You will come short too.

And when your own natural born physical body, was an obstacle. To get you up there. Not a chance Zlatan could be up there with Messi and Ronaldo.

It was just Ronaldo and Messi time and era. If not the biggest rivals.


Because mentality qualities and abilities. This big big reasons. Like hunger, determination, dedication, top guts/drive, hard work and fighting spirit & winning mentality. I believe and rate Zlatan had top winning mentality as Ronaldo and Messi :

Guts, huger and fighting/winning mentality :

Ronaldo = Zlatan = Messi = equal high/same


That were the 3 first reasons mentioned above that different Zlatan from Ronaldo and Messi. 3 too big big reasons. And did play big big part. Why Zlatan weren’t up there with those 2 top of the cake players. 2 of the best of the best players. GOAT.



But in the end. When it come to most acrobatic amd most spectacular goals in football history. There was one and only Zlatan.

The king of most spectacular goals. No one close to him. Zlatan brought Kung Fu and Shaolin soccer to the football. One of his advantage. That no others football players had. How quick he was to react to all the situations on the football pitch and what was the best solution to all every moments.

Zlatan did had a consistent really really high level too. But Messi and Ronaldo were just above. Because they had what it require and demand to be at theirs levels. Like I explained and mentioned above.

Thank you for reading






Zlatan was quick, but not that quick like Messi. When it come to change of direction and explosiveness. One of Zlatan best goal.
 
He just wasn’t as good. No need to single out Zlatan. Many great players in the past decade were good but don’t reach that level.

Zlatan sure, but also

Iniesta, Robben, Ribéry, Xavi, Neuer, Neymar, Kroos, Modric, De Bruyne, Benzema, Lewandowski…

Zlatan Will have trouble comparing himself to some on that list, no need to single him out and compare him to Ronaldo or Messi
 
SilentStrike said:
He just wasn’t as good. No need to single out Zlatan. Many great players in the past decade were good but don’t reach that level.

Zlatan sure, but also

Iniesta, Robben, Ribéry, Xavi, Neuer, Neymar, Kroos, Modric, De Bruyne, Benzema, Lewandowski…

Zlatan Will have trouble comparing himself to some on that list, no need to single him out and compare him to Ronaldo or Messi
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This, really. Was Ibra a better player than Benzema or Lewa? I doubt it. He was more marketable. Iniesta, Robben, etc were better players. Bale is probably a more interesting one.
 
He also hit his peak at a time when serie A was in the gutter, was seen as a flop at Barca and then decided to spend his best years numbers wise at PSG, big fish in a small pond syndrome plus PSGs underperformance in the champions league meant Zlatan was heavily handicapped for Balon Dor consideration
 
I remember a time when Zlatan was viewed as extremely overrated in England. It's a shame he didn't move to the premier league much earlier. Imagine we got Zlatan the season we sold Ronaldo instead of fecking Michael Owen
 
MiceOnMeth said:
I remember a time when Zlatan was viewed as extremely overrated in England. It's a shame he didn't move to the premier league much earlier. Imagine we got Zlatan the season we sold Ronaldo instead of fecking Michael Owen
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I dont think we had a chance against barca back then. We shouldve been all over him in 2010
 
the worlds needs more people who use 10,000 words when one sentence will suffice
 
For me, Zlatan and Robben were better players than Ronaldo. The same goes for Iniesta and Modric. I think prime Bale was better than Ronaldo also. He just had an extremely short prime but was absolutely unbelievable in those couple of years.

Ronaldo was just an absolute goalscoring freak and goals win games.. I preferred Robben at Chelsea over a younger Ronaldo for us also. Ronaldo was fantastic from 2007 to around 2010 before he changed his playing style. Afterwards, he wasn't as good to watch.

Scoring lots of goals makes you a great goalscorer, not a great player.

Messi was a completely different beast altogether. Probably the greatest player of all time and Ronaldo isn't even in the discussion.
 
Hmzone said:
I dont think we had a chance against barca back then. We shouldve been all over him in 2010
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If the Glazers weren't such miserly penny pinching bastards we definitely could have made big moves in the market during that 2009-2013 time. We were champions league semi finalists/finalists almost every season for sure Hazard, David Silva, Aguero, Zlatan are all very gettable if The Glazers got out the chequebook
 
- something about Zlatan and Norwegian king visiting the White house -

also, most likely not even good as Robben, let alone those two.
 
Just a heads-up that we've covered the subject of spectacular goal scorers over in the Newbies Forum, and Zlatan's definitely not number one:
Your top 10 best goal scorers

As for the subject, he messed up his biggest chance to leave a deeper impact at Barcelona (and by mid-season he definitely wasn't playing well, insisting on touches and dribbles that just weren't coming off, and, if I'm not misremembering this point, finishing quite inconsistently). His record in bigger games is fairly dubious, particualrly in Europe. His character and mentality were pretty questionable early on. And he seemed to believe he deserved the same privileges on the pitch as the genuine superstars, which at least one manager had rather famously disagreed with.

Some of the criticisms he received before that England friendly were absurd, but I just don't believe he ever contributed as much to his teams as other attackers like Suarez, Neymar, Robben or Lewandowski, much less Messi and Ronaldo.
 
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Never mind not being better than them as players; he didn’t have the same nerve or appetite for the biggest stages despite his persona. Zlatan was considered a big game bottler for the majority of his prime and never really had that coming of age turnaround to put that to bed.

A Zlatan with the nerve and focus of either of those two would be a very interesting proposition because it wasn’t ability holding him back in terms of maximising his potential. In terms of talent, it is not cut and shut that C. Ron had more, but in terms of nerves and self-belief, C. Ronaldo is in a different stratosphere.

It’s rather pointless talking about Messi, as that’s just a different classification of player and talent, one who can not be mentioned in the same breath as Zlatan, which is no slight on the Swede, rather, basic acknowledgment that Messi can only ever be peered with Maradona, Pele and the like.
 
Also he went to Africa to shoot a lion. Wannabe toughman prick feck him
 
MiceOnMeth said:
I remember a time when Zlatan was viewed as extremely overrated in England. It's a shame he didn't move to the premier league much earlier. Imagine we got Zlatan the season we sold Ronaldo instead of fecking Michael Owen
Click to expand...

Yeah, Remember playing a old PES game and the other person fired the controller against the wall after I scored 3 or 4 with Zlatan. Shouting "He's never that good", "Serie A is a shite league"

Always was a top class player.
 
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As good as Zlatan was, he simply was not as good as Ronaldo/Messi. I don't think it is more complicated than that.
 
MiceOnMeth said:
I remember a time when Zlatan was viewed as extremely overrated in England. It's a shame he didn't move to the premier league much earlier. Imagine we got Zlatan the season we sold Ronaldo instead of fecking Michael Owen
Click to expand...
Zlatan Cavani and Thiago Silva all quickly changed the longstanding English opinions of them when they were completely past their prime, makes you think it would’ve taken Neymar like 3 games to do the same if he’d gone to the Prem
 
I hope this analysis becomes a daily occurance.

My favourite part was Shaolin soccer (I'm aware this is not up for discussion).
 
People in the know, such as most of us here, know how great Zlatan was, but if we're going to be honest Zlatan is just not in the same league as Messi and Ronaldo. Thus, less hype around him.
 
The debate over whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic can be compared to Lionel Messi is one that has engaged football enthusiasts for years. Both players have had glittering careers, leaving indelible marks on the sport. However, when considering their overall impact, consistency, and legacy, there are compelling arguments for why Zlatan, for all his talent and charisma, does not measure up to Messi’s greatness. In this essay, we will explore this argument through several lenses: technical skill, individual accolades, team success, adaptability, and cultural impact.





Technical Skill: Magic versus Power





Zlatan Ibrahimovic is renowned for his athletic prowess, physical dominance, and creative flair. His height (1.95 meters) and build allow him to control the ball and hold off defenders in ways few other players can. Ibrahimovic is also an acrobatic striker, capable of jaw-dropping goals—his famous bicycle kick from 30 yards against England in 2012 being a prime example of his genius. His technique, especially given his size, is exceptional. His ability to pull off audacious volleys, flicks, and outrageous shots from angles most players wouldn’t dare attempt demonstrates his technical brilliance.





However, Lionel Messi’s technical ability transcends that of Ibrahimovic. Messi, standing at 1.70 meters, defies expectations with his close control, dribbling, and balance. His low center of gravity enables him to glide past defenders with ease. Messi’s dribbling is almost unmatched in football history, with countless defenders left chasing shadows as he weaves his way through them. His footballing brain is unique; his vision, decision-making, and ability to pick out a pass in the final third are unrivaled.





Where Ibrahimovic’s game is about imposing his will physically and with audacity, Messi’s game is about precision, subtlety, and genius. The Argentine’s ability to create space out of nothing and decide games on his own terms places him in a different stratosphere of footballing intelligence and technical execution. Messi is not only a great goal scorer but also an exceptional playmaker, something that Ibrahimovic—despite his impressive versatility—cannot match to the same degree.





Individual Accolades: Messi’s Untouchable Record





While both players have earned significant individual recognition, Messi’s achievements are peerless. Messi has won the prestigious Ballon d’Or a record seven times (as of 2023), making him the most decorated individual player in football history. This accolade is a testament to his sustained brilliance over nearly two decades at the very top of the game. He has consistently performed across multiple seasons and in different competitions, achieving levels of consistency that are rare in football.





Zlatan, on the other hand, has never won a Ballon d’Or, which is a reflection of the difference in how the football world perceives the two players. While Ibrahimovic has had moments of brilliance and led his teams to domestic glory in various leagues, he has never reached the pinnacle of individual awards in the same way Messi has.





Messi’s scoring records are also extraordinary. He holds the record for the most goals in a calendar year (91 in 2012), as well as the most goals for a single club, FC Barcelona. His goal-scoring prowess is underlined by his consistency; he has surpassed the 40-goal mark in numerous seasons. While Zlatan has been prolific, scoring over 500 career goals, his numbers do not approach Messi’s, and his scoring peaks have not been sustained at the same level of consistency.





Team Success: A Legacy of Titles





When we look at team success, Messi’s career shines far brighter than Zlatan’s. Messi has won multiple UEFA Champions League titles (four with Barcelona), league titles in Spain and France, and a host of domestic cups. His crowning achievement, of course, came in 2022 when he led Argentina to victory in the FIFA World Cup, adding the one major international trophy that had eluded him for years. Messi’s ability to perform on the biggest stages—whether it’s in club competitions like the Champions League or on the international stage—cements his legacy as one of the greatest of all time.





Zlatan, for all his brilliance, has never won the Champions League. Despite playing for some of Europe’s biggest clubs—Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United—he has fallen short in Europe’s premier competition. His international career with Sweden, while respectable, also lacks the major triumphs Messi has achieved with Argentina. Although Zlatan has been a talismanic figure for his national team, leading them to several major tournaments, his impact at that level has been less far-reaching compared to Messi’s influence on Argentina.





Adaptability: The Argument for Zlatan’s Nomadism





One area where Ibrahimovic has a strong argument in his favor is adaptability. Over his career, Zlatan has played in the Netherlands (Ajax), Italy (Juventus, Inter, AC Milan), Spain (Barcelona), France (PSG), England (Manchester United), the United States (LA Galaxy), and again in Italy (AC Milan). In every league, he has been a dominant force, proving that his skill set works across a variety of footballing cultures and tactical setups. His ability to impose himself in different contexts shows his versatility and the breadth of his influence.





Messi, for most of his career, played at FC Barcelona, a club where the system and team were built around him. Critics have sometimes argued that Messi benefited from the consistency of playing in a team tailored to his strengths. However, Messi’s move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 proved his adaptability, and he continued to perform at the highest level in France. His triumphant World Cup campaign with Argentina in 2022 also silenced any doubts about whether he could excel outside of the Barcelona setup.





While Zlatan’s nomadic career speaks to his flexibility, Messi has shown that his talent transcends any one club or system. His influence has been profound in both club and international settings, regardless of the environment.





Cultural and Footballing Impact





Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had a massive cultural impact on the sport. His larger-than-life persona, controversial statements, and swagger have made him a global icon. Zlatan is a master of self-promotion, and his confidence—some might say arrogance—has endeared him to fans who appreciate his charisma. He is one of football’s great entertainers, both on and off the field.





Yet when we speak of cultural and footballing impact, Messi’s reach is broader and deeper. Messi is more than just a footballer; he is a symbol of excellence, humility, and dedication to the craft. He is adored by fans worldwide not just for his brilliance but for the way he carries himself. Messi’s reserved demeanor, contrasted with his unparalleled skill on the field, has made him a universally beloved figure. He represents the pure essence of the sport, and his influence on the next generation of footballers is immeasurable.





Moreover, Messi’s rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has helped define an era of football, creating one of the most talked-about duopolies in sports history. While Zlatan is undoubtedly a legend in his own right, he has not had the same long-standing, defining impact on footballing history as Messi has.





Conclusion





In conclusion, while Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a phenomenal footballer with unique attributes, Lionel Messi is simply on another level. Messi’s technical ability, consistent success, record-breaking achievements, and profound influence on the game set him apart. Zlatan’s brilliance lies in his strength, adaptability, and charisma, but these traits do not eclipse the sheer footballing genius and career-defining moments that Messi has brought to the sport. Messi’s legacy will endure as one of the greatest—if not the greatest—footballer of all time.
 
I’ve asked chatgpt to summarize OP:

“Zlatan Ibrahimović, known for his acrobatic goals, stands just below Messi and Ronaldo due to three main factors: less support from top-tier clubs, fewer world-class teammates, and a lack of the same explosive speed. Despite this, his unique style and consistent high level made him the king of spectacular goals.“
 
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