LOS ANGELES — LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored his 500th career goal for club and country combined with a 43rd-minute strike Saturday night against Toronto FC.
Since joining the Galaxy, Ibrahimovic has scored 17 goals in 22 games played. The Galaxy trailed TFC 3-1 after goal No. 500.
During the Galaxy’s nine-match undefeated streak from the beginning of June to the end of July, Ibrahimovic scored 10 goals. Both Dos Santos brothers were away with the Mexican National Team during the majority of that stretch, so it was up to Ibrahimovic to provide an offensive effort for his club.
Ibrahimovic’s scoring rate has slowed since that stretch, with just two goals in August and September, so far, including the goal Saturday against TFC.
Obviously, the majority of Zlatan’s goals came before he joined the Galaxy earlier this year, most from his time with Paris Saint-Germain from 2012 to 2016, when he scored 156 goals in 180 appearances. During that time with PSG, the club won four Ligue 1 Championships, two Coupe de France Championships and three Coupe de la Ligue titles, and Ibrahimovic was the Ligue 1 top scorer for three of the four seasons he was there.
Ibrahimovic is also the all-time leading goalscorer for Sweden, with 62 goals in 114 appearances since January 2001.
He featured in the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups for Sweden, as well as the 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016 UEFA European Championships.
Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lionel Messi.
Zlatan Ibrahimović. @Ibra_official joins elite company as the third active player to score 500 career goals across his senior career between club and country. pic.twitter.com/umjiTefx4N
— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) September 16, 2018