Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Tattoos Against Hunger

When Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored barely two minutes into a match against Caen on Saturday it was no surprise when he tore off his shirt to celebrate. While the move drew a yellow card from the ref it also drew the attention of the entire soccer world as millions of fans wondered about all of the new tattoos Ibrahimovic appeared to have on his chest. In an effort to raise awareness and funds for the World Food Programme Ibrahimovic covered himself in temporary tattoos.

“I had 50 names temporarily tattooed on my body,” Ibrahimovic said in a statement on the team’s website. “The tattoos have gone but the people are still out there. There are 805 million people who are suffering from hunger around the world. If we can reach out to the world leaders, I am sure that together, we can solve the problem of hunger in the world.”

The Swedish footballer has a few tattoos of the non-temporary variety, but these were mostly hidden under all of the names. It’s refreshing to see an athlete use his fame to benefit such a positive cause. Often when a player scores a goal (or touchdown, home run, etc.) the celebration is seen as nothing but self congratulatory. The more elaborate the celebration—when Terrell Owens signed a football with a sharpie he was hiding in his sock, for example—the more it seems to be an egotistical statement. Ibrahimovic’s, on the other hand, did involve props but even the fiercest critic wouldn’t say that it was a selfish move.

Ibrahimovic explains the tattoos and the need to raise awareness for the World Food Programme in the video below.

805 millions de personnes souffrent de la faimby PSG