Here’s How Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic Inspired Ted Lasso’s ‘Zava’s’ Soccer-Icon Style

Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are two of the most prominent soccer players in the world. Both are also the inspiration behind the look of Ted Lasso’s star player, Zava. Since its inception in 2020, Ted Lasso has quickly become one of the most beloved television shows out there.

Its unique characters and vibrant personalities have captured the interest of fans around the world. One such character is Zava, who got introduced in Season 3. He is portrayed as a world-class soccer icon, brilliantly portrayed by Australian-born actor Maximilian Osinski.

To best capture the essence of this larger-than-life character, Ted Lasso’s costume designer had to take some inspiration.

Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo, the inspiration behind the style

The third season of the show sees the introduction of Maximilian Osinski as Zava, an obnoxious world-class player. Jacky Levy, the costume designer of Ted Lasso wanted to capture the essence of Zava’s character perfectly and decided to create an outfit that matches the player’s icon-style status. To do this, she decided to fuse two distinct looks – Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Part of Ted Lasso’s magic is that it brings numerous disparate influences together to create something altogether new. This is especially true of Zava’s look.

On one hand, Levy drew inspiration from the signature show-stopping look of iconic soccer star, Cristiano Ronaldo. Specifically, his outfit incorporates a super-skinny fit of jeans, which is a look directly attributable to Ronaldo. On the other hand, his look pays homage to the inimitable Zlatan Ibrahimovic with its distinctive jacket.

Dive Deeper: Real Madrid Superstar Karim Benzema Equals Cristiano Ronaldo’s Elusive Feat Following a 7-Minute Hat-Trick in 6-0 La Liga Win

In the wake of seeing the motivation behind his outfit, one inquiry emerges, is his character in the show likewise founded on a genuine soccer star? To this, the answer is yes.

Zava’s real-life inspiration

The character of Zava in Ted Lasso embodies many facets of the real-life soccer star, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Like the real-life athlete, Zava is portrayed as a soccer icon who previously played for Juventus. Furthermore, his egoistical and controversial personality is also reminiscent of the Swedish star.

Additionally, fans have noted that the costume design and facial features appear to be based on Ibrahimovic’s appearance. Considering all these facts together, it’s fairly easy to deduce where the realm of inspiration for this character came from.

WATCH THIS STORY: Meet the Legendary Tennis Player Who is 3x Richer than Cristiano Ronaldo

What are your thoughts on Zava and the inspiration behind it? Let us know in the comments.