Is Zlatan Ibrahimovic really the greatest MLS player ever?

No one is shocked Zlatan Ibrahimovic declared him the G.O.A.T. of MLS, but is he wrong?

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has never been one for modesty so it was completely in keeping with the character of the great Swede when, last week, he put himself on a pedestal as the best player to have ever played in Major League Soccer. We really shouldn’t have expected the LA Galaxy forward to have ranked himself as anything else.

“I think the two years I’ve had here I’ve done good things, amazing things, and perfect things,” the 37-year-old stated after scoring a hat-trick in a 7-2 win over Sporting KC. “I think I’m the best-ever player in MLS. And that’s without joking.” With 28 goals in 27 league appearances this season, and 50 in 51 since signing for the Galaxy 18 months ago, his case is certainly a strong one.

But is Ibrahimovic, as he claims, really the best the North American top flight has ever seen? The former Ajax, Barcelona, Inter, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain striker is without doubt one of the biggest names to have called MLS home, with only David Beckham, Thierry Henry, Kaka and Wayne Rooney on a similar level to the Swede, but do his claims stand up once the typical veneer of narcissism is peeled away?

There are a number of factors to consider when assessing such a statement. In terms of goals, Chris Wondolowski is the league’s historical top scorer, with the San Jose Earthquakes man, who has 158 goals to his name, leapfrogging Landon Donovan at the top of the all-time standings earlier this season.

But nobody could make a straight-faced argument that Wondolowski is anywhere close to being the best player in MLS history. His success is one of longevity. Many more have reached higher heights, even if their brilliance has been fleeting. Sebastian Giovinco is perhaps the best case study here.

The Italian playmaker was only an MLS player for three years, leaving Toronto FC for Saudi Arabia earlier this year, but the heights he reached must be acknowledged. There was a point at which Giovinco was seemingly unplayable, becoming TFC’s all-time top scorer with 83 goals in total. The 2015 season was his peak, breaking almost record imaginable as Toronto FC made their first ever MLS Cup final. The trophy was theirs the following season as Giovinco kept up his astonishing level.

Some may argue that in terms of goals and influence on a single club, Robbie Keane deserves a mention. Many more illustrious players than the Irishman have played in MLS and even for the LA Galaxy, but he set the tone and lead by example during an extraordinary run of success for the Carson club.

David Villa might also be in the conversation. The Spaniard had won it all in Europe by the time he pitched up at New York City FC as their first Designated Player, but there was no complacency to his performances in MLS, scoring 80 times in 124 appearances for the Bronx side. More recently, Miguel Almiron made a case to enter the discussion sparked by Ibrahimovic’s comments, earning himself a £20 million move to Newcastle United in January on the back of his sparking displays for 2018 MLS Cup champions Atlanta United.

Of course, this discussion largely depends on what Ibrahimovic believes constitutes the “best-ever,” as he spoke about. Is he talking about the stature of players to have played in MLS, in which case the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Steven Gerrard warrant a mention, or is he referencing the level of performances turned in by these players while they have called North America home, in which case Almiron and Giovinco have to be listed? Ibrahimovic likely doesn’t care about such nuances.