Virat Kohli, arguably the most popular cricketer globally and adored by over a billion people in India, boasts a staggering 270 million followers on Instagram. However, legendary Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains unaware of his fame. In a video with YouTube content creator ‘IShowSpeed’, Ibrahimovic admitted he had never heard of Kohli.
![Zlatan Ibrahimovic](https://cricshots.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Zlatan-Ibrahimovic-ishowspeed.jpg)
Speed, whose real name is Darren Jason Watkins Jr., referred to Kohli as the ‘GOAT’ (Greatest Of All Time) of cricket, only to be met with confusion from Ibrahimovic. During the video, Speed asked Ibrahimovic if he knew Virat Kohli, to which the footballer responded negatively.
Speed then showed him a picture of Kohli, but Ibrahimovic still did not recognize him. “No. I’ve never seen cricket in my life. Not being disrespectful, but no,” Ibrahimovic said when presented with the image of Kohli.
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Curious, Ibrahimovic asked, “Is he some kind of big player?” Speed enthusiastically replied, “He’s the GOAT. He is the GOAT in a different aspect, man. You’ve got to learn the different GOATs in different aspects,” emphasizing Kohli’s legendary status in the cricket world.
🚨 | WATCH: Speed asks Zlatan Ibrahimović if he knows Virat Kohli ðŸ˜ðŸ‡®ðŸ‡³ pic.twitter.com/qd5t5w8ZJp
— Speedy HQ (@iShowSpeedHQ) July 9, 2024
It’s not entirely surprising that Ibrahimovic might not know who Kohli is, considering cricket is not a prominent sport in Sweden, which ranks 55th in the ICC’s T20I team rankings. Ibrahimovic, who ranks 15th in the list of most goals scored in football history with 561 goals, retired from professional football at the age of 41, with his last stint being with the Italian club AC Milan.
Meanwhile, American YouTuber Speed, with over 26 million subscribers, is well-known for his admiration of Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
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However, his appreciation for Virat Kohli is also evident. Recently, Speed attended the India vs. Pakistan match during the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York, showcasing his diverse interests in global sports icons. This meeting between Speed and Ibrahimovic highlighted the cultural and regional differences in sports popularity, even among the most celebrated athletes.