Soccer Legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic Sizes Up Yankees Star Aaron Judge: “I’ve Heard a Lot of Stories”

Undoubtedly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s name will be called upon when talking about one of the greats in soccer. In a nearly two-decades-long career, he gave plenty of memorable moments for the fans. But, now that he has retired, Ibrahimovic might have the time to explore other sports. Hence, paving his way into a different sport, he took center stage at the Yankees stadium to watch the Pinstripes game. Also, aside from just watching the match, Ibrahimovic was in the baseball groves to do something special by a soccer player at the New York Yankees venue. 

The Bronx Bombers invited Ibrahimovic to throw the first ceremonial pitch to start the Yankees vs. Jays series. This was the first time Zlatan Ibrahimovic had visited any baseball stadium during or even after his soccer career. Despite that, he was well aware of the Yankees captain Aaron Judge’s achievements on the plate. Upon getting a chance to meet him, Ibrahimovic expressed his feelings and had quite special moments with Aaron Judge on the field. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic shared his thoughts on the Yankees captain Aaron Judge

Visiting any baseball stadium for the first time and meeting Aaron Judge was a special moment for Ibrahimovic. Before his interaction with Judge, Ibrahimovic garnered a few words for him: “I’ve heard a lot of stories, so I’m excited to meet him. They say he’s my size, if not bigger. That’s good, because I’m not used to, in my world, seeing my size.” More to it, both Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Aaron Judge were seen together holding Yankees jerseys. While Aaron Judge had his 99-number jersey, Ibrahimovic was spotted holding a special jersey with his iconic number 11. 

Also, with Ibrahimovic, who was eager to meet Aaron Judge, the Yankees captain made sure he proved his worth. Against the Toronto Blue Jays, he belted a 477-foot homer in the first innings of the game. This took him to his 40th home run of the 2024 season. Eventually, with the 40th homer, Judge became only the fourth Yankee in history to get a three-plus 40-homer season. At the top, there’s Babe Ruth with eleven 40+ home runs seasons. Followed by Lou Gehrig (5) and Mickey Mantle with four 40+ homers in a single season. 

Further, having a conversation with the Yes Network reporter Meredith Marakovits before the game, Ibrahimovic said, “I think I would be the one who does the home runs. Easy, I would do a home run every game.” Purely, it was a comical stance by the AC Milan star where he showed his only interest in MLB to hitting homers out of the park. Despite being unable to pitch correctly, Ibrahimovic’s confidence in scoring homers shows a lot about his on-field temperament. Also, aside from former AC Milan player Ibrahimovic making his first visit to the Yankees stadium, the Pinstripes already had reminiscent connections with the Italian club. 

A glance at the New York Yankees franchise & AC Milan’s connection

Establishing a strong relationship between baseball and soccer, the Bronx Bombers went a step ahead. In 2022, the New York Yankees purchased a minority stake in the AC Milan club. On August 31st, 2022, RedBird Capital Partners made the deal and bought a 10% stake in AC Milan. Eventually, after the Yankees partially owned the MLS’s New York City, acquiring a minority stake in the Italian club became the second deal. 

In total, the Yankees Global Enterprises, led by the Steinbrenner family, bought the 10% AC Milan’s stake at $1.2 billion. Further, reflecting on the relationship with the Yankees, AC Milan’s Cardinale said, “We have a multi-decade relationship with the New York Yankees and the Steinbrenner family that has resulted in the creation of some of the most successful businesses in sports, entertainment, and hospitality,” More to it, the 27 times World Series champions also signed a separate marketing agreement with the Italian club along with replay rights. 

There was also cross-merchandising between the Bronx Bombers and AC Milan. Eventually, with the Yankees being 10% owners of AC Milan and a FIFA legend called upon, ties between the two clubs might have deepened further. Lastly, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic visiting the Yankees stadium and having a great time with Aaron Judge, MLB fans might witness the global superstar visit the baseball arena more often in matches to come.