Zlatan Ibrahimovic pays to send Swedish football team to World Cup for intellectually disabled

Zlatan Ibrahimovic with the Sweden football team for the intellectually disabled – The Unknown Team

Zlatan Ibrahimpvic’s may be a hard player to deal with at times, but his compassion knows no bounds.

Sweden’s national football team for the intellectually disabled had qualified for the INAS World Cup – an international football tournament for athletes with intellectual disabilities (aka mental retardation). But the team (known as “The Unknown Team”) needed $51,000 to travel to the competition in Brazil.

Hard of cash, the team’s staff contacted many Swedish footballers to help by donating boots and autographed shirts which could be auctioned off to raise money. Several players like Kim Kallstrom, Johan Elmander, Andreas Isaksson and Per Nilsson donated shirts and boots to help the team.

Ibrahimovic responds by donating full amount

When they contacted the Swedish striker to donate his shirt for the auction, Ibrahimovic asked, “What the hell are you going to do with a shirt? How much is it to go?”

The PSG striker may have failed to lead his country to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But he wasn’t going to allow this team to fail in their endeavour to go to their World Cup.

Instead of donating jerseys or boots, Ibrahimovic asked them for their account number and promptly deposited the entire amount!

The result? The team can now travel to Brazil and Zlatan is now their official ambassador.

Sweden wasn’t going to miss a second World Cup

Ibrahimovic said: “Football should be played by anyone, regardless of gender, disability or not.”

“And when we missed the World Cup, I was deeply disappointed, but when I heard about 'The Unknown Team' I said to myself that I wanted to do everything in my power to help them to experience the World Cup.

“There was nothing to think about. Now I get to experience the World Cup through them.”

Team manager Stefan Jonsson was over the moon: “It’s unbelievable, incredible, fantastic. I still have to pinch myself to believe it’s true.

“Thanks to Zlatan, a life-long dream will soon become reality for all of us involved.”

Well done, Zlatan! We salute you.