Ibracadabra

In a era where media coverage of sport has never been so great, few sportsmen are able to define their media image. When you think of some of the greats in sporting history, for example Muhammad Ali, some were able to portray their own character and reputation rather than just become another sportsman moulded by what the media write.

Step forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Arrogant, funny, rude, misunderstood are all common descriptions of PSG's talisman. While it is obvious the Swede has the talent on the pitch, he is just as entertaining outside of football. How he reacts to the press in his manner has become something of much interest and is one of the reasons why he is so popular on the sporting stage.

Quips like telling team mates not to talk to the media as he "is the boss" and how he would not get his wife anything for her birthday as "she already has Zlatan" make the striker iconic. Few sportsmen let alone footballers are willing to drop the media visage and interact as themselves.  

However, his most recent act is the perfect example to how footballers of mass popularity to can use the game as a stepping stone to raise awareness for important global issues. David Beckham, Lionel Messi and Didier Drogba to name a few do wonders for global causes like Unicef, Kick It Out, etc.

Although, Ibrahimovic's latest stunt is arguably one of the most eye catching and touching gestures during on a sporting stage for some time. Having just scored against Caen, Ibrahimovic walked to the middle of the centre circle, to reveal 50 temporary tattoos that covered his entire torso of names of 50 starving children from different countries for the World Food Programme.

While sporting demonstrations are so often a driving force to have world issues recognised and to say that global issues, politics and sport do mix could not be more wrong, Ibrahimovic has most certainly raised the media profile of a fantastic organisation.  

No stranger to ink, Zlatan spoke on the demonstration:  "I had 50 temporary tattoos on my body. They were the names of real people who suffer from starvation in the world. Even if the tattoos are gone today, these people are still there. There are 805 million starving people in the world. I want you to see them, through me, to help the World Food Programme."

Sportsmen and women will forever continue to make bold political statements on sporting stages and with the media coverage that exists today it is impossible for the views not to be seen or heard. That said, it is unlikely to see a athlete raise awareness for a cause in such a bold way that Ibrahimovic did, doing so in a way that really summarises his character.