Ibrahimovic joins Ronaldo in exclusive club after netting Milan opener against Venezia

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has matched a European top-five league 21st-century record, set by Cristiano Ronaldo last month, after scoring for Milan against Venezia.

The veteran forward tucked in from close range inside two minutes at Stadio Pierluigi Penzo on Sunday, bringing up his eighth Serie A goal of the season and his first of 2022.

It means Ibrahimovic has now found the net against 80 different clubs across Europe’s big five leagues (Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, LaLiga and Ligue 1).

Since 2000, the only other player to have achieved that feat is Ronaldo, who reached the milestone with a goal in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Burnley at Old Trafford on December 30.

Ibrahimovic has now also scored in every calendar year since 1999, when he made his debut for Malmo in Sweden.

80 – Venezia are the 80th different team against which Zlatan #Ibrahimovic has scored in the Big-5 European leagues: since 2000, the Swedish player became only the 2nd player to reach this milestone, after Cristiano Ronaldo (on December 30 v Burnley). Multiplicity.#VeneziaMilan pic.twitter.com/yUkJbAIxDH

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) January 9, 2022