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Ibrahimovic's 10-year reign as Sweden's best player comes to an end

Lars Baron / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's decade-long reign as Sweden's top footballer ended Monday when FC Krasnodar defender Andreas Granqvist was awarded the 2017 Golden Ball.

The 36-year-old held the honour as Sweden's top player from 2007-2016 and managed to win the award 11 times overall.

However, it appears a major knee injury may have cost him a chance this time around, as Granqvist managed to usurp Ibrahimovic just days after captaining Sweden in the country's dramatic play-off win over Italy, securing a place in the 2018 World Cup.

(Photo courtesy: Getty)

The Manchester United striker, who retired from international duty after Euro 2016 and is the only player to win the award more than twice, gratuitously accepted the decision:

"Usually I’m the one who gets the award but tonight I passed on my jersey," he said on Instagram. "These young guys are dedicated to the future of Swedish football. "

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