Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Sweden National Team manager Janne Andersson would like all of you to know that there is NO WAY Sweden's all-time goalscorer and all-around entertainment generator Zlatan Ibrahimovic is going to play for Sweden at the World Cup, which they just qualified for, much to the chagrin of Italy. So just get that out of your heads. Zlatan, the man who once said "a World Cup without me is nothing to watch" is not going to play in the World Cup. He is retired from international football and currently rehabbing an awful knee injury. IT IS NOT HAPPENING.

Sweden are still in the running for the 2018 World Cup. They will have to win a playoff against another UEFA team but have been playing well as of late. Sweden's current squad would be a fun addition to the World Cup, but do you know what would be more fun?

It is Zlatan Ibrahimovic's birthday today. Today, October 3, 2017, Zlatan turns 36 in people years. I say in people years because we all know Zlatan is actually ageless. A descendant of the stars.

You don't have to get Zlatan anything. Zlatan already has everything he could possibly need (except for a functioning knee but he's working on that). Instead, celebrate Zlatan's birthday with 13 minutes of beautiful Zlatan goals.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic tore his ACL in April and is still recovering. It’s unlikely he’ll return in 2017, though Manchester United included him on its Champions League group stage roster. More than likely he’ll be back in 2018 and he’ll probably score a few golazos along the way.

Importantly for the Manchester United striker in his recovery is his strength and overall health. According to Dr. Freddie Fu Ho-keung, the surgeon who performed Ibrahimovic’s knee surgery, the 35-year-old has the knees of a 15-year-old boy.