The son of a Swedish football icon is following in his father’s footsteps with a call-up to the national team ahead of the looming international break.
The talented 18-year-old recently signed for a European top-flight club in his bid to equal his famous father’s legacy.
And he has more than hit the ground running, scoring four times in his first six games.
But the player will have much more to do if he hopes to meet or exceed his father’s numbers.
The player in question is the son of Zlatan Ibrahimovic – who retired with a total of 496 goals to his name.
Maximilian Ibrahimovic (left) has received his first international call-up to Sweden’s U18 side
The 18-year-old is currently following in his father Zlatan’s footsteps at AC Milan after signing for the Serie A side this summer
Maximilian has certainly started on the right note, however, earning his first international run-out with a place in Sweden’s under-18 squad.
The team is set to play in a handful of friendlies next week, with two outings versus Japan, and a third against the United States.
‘I’ve been following him for a year now,’ Sweden’s youth coach Andreas Pettersson told Expressen.
‘He started to play more and more with Milan’s under-18 team. Then he progressed and did well.’
Ibrahimovic Jr joined his father’s side AC Milan in July with a professional move that will keep him at the club until 2027.
‘The main quality I have stuck with is that he gets to the situations where you can score goals and finishing situations, he is good at that,’ Pettersson added.
The teenager has scored four times in his first six matches for the under-18 squad in Milan
After two separate stints at Milan, Ibrahimovic now has an senior advisory role at the San Siro
‘He is good at getting into the penalty area and into what we call the end zone.’
Maximilian’s development at Milan could in part be aided by his father’s efforts to enhance his former club’s youth output.
After retiring at the San Siro from professional football in 2023, Ibrahimovic took on a behind-the-scenes role alongside the club’s owners RedBird Capital Partners.
The former Sweden international reportedly pushed for the club to set up an under-23 squad in Serie C – as Juventus and Atalanta had done – which could provide a pathway to first-team football for his son.