Zlatan Ibrahimovic announces his retirement from football with an emotional farewell at AC Milan

Ibrahimovic, often hailed as one of the world’s greatest players, is the Swedish national team’s top goal scorer of all time, with 62 in 122 games. In March, he became the oldest ever goal scorer in Italy’s premier league, Serie A.

“I say goodbye to football but not to you,” the AC Milan striker told the fans at San Siro stadium, which was packed for the last game of the season. “The first time I arrived here, you gave me happiness. The second time, love. You welcomed me with open arms, you made me feel at home and I will be a Milanista my entire life.” he said.

Footage from inside the stadium showed fans and teammates bidding the star goodbye, some wiping away tears and others cheering and applauding.

Ibrahimovic has played for a string of top professional clubs over more than two decades, including Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan in Italy; Ajax in the Netherlands; Barcelona in Spain’s La Liga; Paris Saint-Germain in France’s Ligue 1; and Manchester United in England’s Premier League. He will retire as a legend of the game.