He might be one of football’s most braggadocious characters, but it turns out that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has a weak point after all: helicopter rides. 

His fear of choppers is so great that he even admitted with a grin: ‘I’m s*******in my pants!’ 

The Swedish giant, who stretches to 6ft5in and gave defenders nightmares throughout his career, looked petrified as he boarded a copter to the World Cup final.

Ibrahimovic, 44, has been working as a pundit for Fox Sports during the tournament alongside Thierry Henry and former United States star Alexi Lalas. 

And after wiping some sweat off his brow, Ibrahimovic put on a brave face and tried to laugh off an impending flight to the final between Spain and Argentina in New Jersey. 

He said: ‘The adrenaline is pumping on the way, I’m s******* in my pants. 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic admitted he was ‘s******* himself’ ahead of a helicopter ride to the World Cup final 

‘I don’t like helicopters but it’s okay, I have Rebecca [Lowe, presenter] close to me, I have Thierry, I have Alexi. 

‘If we go down, we go down together.’

The former Manchester United, Barcelona, and Paris Saint-Germain striker was dressed to the nines in a cream suit for the air ride. 

That was a departure from his attire on Saturday, when he went topless for a Cold as Balls interview show with Kevin Hart.

Zlatan doesn’t tend to show vulnerability. He is known for his grandiose one-liners and self-exaltation, though it is often seen as an act.

He had this side to him even when he was a teenager. Offered a trial at Arsenal by Arsene Wenger, he recalls saying: ‘I will not do a trial: either you take me or not, I’m not here to waste time.

‘When I was young, in my mind no one was better than me.’

He has also said: ‘I can’t help but laugh at how perfect I am.’

Rebecca Lowe has spoken out on the tensions between Ibrahimovic and co-pundit Alexi Lalas

His personality has brought him into a jokey conflict with his co-pundit Lalas during the World Cup.

Recently, Fox World Cup host Lowe defiantly insisted that there is no tension between her colleagues Ibrahimovic and Lalas, despite multiple terse exchanges.

Ibrahimovic has branded Lalas ‘the past’ live on air and abruptly dismissed him for saying France were ‘arrogant’ in the first half against Senegal.

When Lalas then left the studio to report live from the Seattle stadium for the second United States group game, Ibrahimovic said: ‘You’re welcome, America.’

Footage also went viral from the Fox studio where the three analysts were playing soccer and Henry mercilessly tricked Lalas with a faked back heel while the cameras were rolling.

Host presenter Lowe, however, has insisted that the trio all get along fine when the cameras are off and claims that the suggestions of unrest behind the scenes is actually a source of amusement to all in the Fox setup.

Speaking to talkSPORT, Lowe said: ‘These stories do make me laugh and we do laugh about them. We’re like, “another one”? And it is getting a little out of hand.

‘We are going through every newspaper now. Like, okay guys, maybe let’s pivot and write about something else, that would be good. The football, maybe?’

Henry and Ibrahimovic posted a clip of themselves doing insane tricks, including one on Lalas

Lalas has attempted at times to get his own back, telling Ibrahimovic last weekend that his cream suit made him look like one of presenters on the 70s television show ‘Fantasy Island’.

But Lowe says that amid the jokes the trio trade off at each other, there is an underlying respect between them all.

‘There is nothing, there is no tension, nothing! We are laughing our heads off at all of this,’ she added.

‘Everybody respects everybody hugely. If people want to watch and listen to what the guys say to each other and work off each other, they would see that.

‘It’s a strange old narrative when you’re in the middle of the thunderstorm, and I am right in the middle of it with them all day every day, and it just doesn’t exist. It is crazy.’