Who plays Zava in ‘Ted Lasso’ and who is Zava based on?

A brand-new character recently joined the Ted Lasso cast for the celebrated show’s third and final season.

Viewers are already fixated on Zava, the latest addition to AFC Richmond’s lineup. An incredible striker with an air of humorous drama about him, Zava is tickling real-world soccer fans’ memories. Those of us who prefer our sports to be fictional may not connect the dots, but sports fans quickly noted comparisons between Zava and a talented real-world player.

Is Zava based on a real athlete?

Zava’s big entrance into Ted Lasso‘s final season is already making waves, as people predict how his presence will alter the show’s already stellar dynamic. The fresh character is presented as a living legend and one of the very best strikers the soccer world has to offer.

There’s no concrete proof that Zava is based on an actual, real-world player, but fans are already making connections between him and talented Swedish soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimović. The 41-year-old striker is known for his speed and agility on the field, long-range shots, stellar ball control, and overall talent as a goalscorer. He’s also known as a rather temperamental addition to any team, as demonstrated by a well-known feud between him and Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, and by his history across 10 different clubs.

Ibrahimović is also well aware of his talent on the field. He’s confidently described his style as all his own, quipping “Swedish style? No. Yugoslavian style? Of course not. It has to be Zlatan-style.” While this confidence is certainly deserved, it wouldn’t be surprising to learn that it isn’t always welcome. He’s been described, by Bleacher Report‘s Ryan Bailey, as a “prima donna.” Bailey noted that “the talented Swede thinks he is god’s gift to the beautiful game — a fact proven by his assertion that the World Cup wouldn’t be worth watching without him, and that he doesn’t need a Ballon d’Or trophy to know he is the greatest.”

Many of Ibrahimović’s most well-known qualities are reflected in Zava. He’s a massively talented player, but a difficult teammate, with Higgins explaining that he’s “played for 14 teams in 15 years, leaving behind nothing but chaos and trophies.” The character even shares some striking physical similarities to Ibrahimović, down to the goatee, and his playing style is distinctly familiar to Ibrahimović’s.

Who plays Zava in Ted Lasso?

The character of Zava is brought to audiences by Maximilian Osinski. The talented actor is already catching Ted Lasso fan attention with his portrayal of the cocky soccer player, but he remains best known for his time in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. He reappeared frequently through three of the show’s seven seasons, as Agent Davis.

Viewers have yet to get a good glimpse of Osinski’s Zava, whose role in the show — thus far, at least — has largely been background, but his history in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D, as well as 2010’s Love & Other Drugs, 2020’s Greyhound, and Walking Dead spinoff World Beyond gives us confidence that he’ll make a stellar addition to the team. Zava’s role looks poised to expand quite a bit across the remainder of Ted Lasso season three, and we can’t wait to see how the character shakes things up.