| ITALY | |
| 1984-present | |
| A.C. Milan | |
Like his mentor, the great Franco Baresi (see above), Maldini is an AC Milan legend who has played his entire career at the San Siro. Maldini has followed in Baresi’s footsteps in a number of other ways as well. He’s been club skipper, he’s been an inspirational and iconic figure, and most importantly, he’s been a winner. Maldini has won more games than anyone in an A.C. Milan kit, and has a crowded trophy room to boot. He has won seven Scudetti, one Coppa Italia, four Italian Super Cups, and five UEFA Champions League Titles. He was also the first European-based captain to lift the World Club Championship,. In 1994, he became the first defender to win World Soccer’s World Player of the Year award.
He is extremely versatile and has excelled at both left-back and center back during his career. He moved to center back after Baresi retired and has played much of his career for club and country in the heart of the defense. Indeed, the heart metaphor is apt when describing Maldini since he was always the inspirational leader of his team’s backline. He didn’t just use words and emotions to get the job done, though. He also led by example, and his exquisite skills, solid tackling, and guile made him, arguably, the greatest defender in the world during his day. He wasn’t as flashy as his counterpart, Roberto Carlos (see below), but most experts will tell you that he was a much better defender.
Internationally, he remains Italy’s most capped player with 126 appearances. He was skipper for 74 of those appearances, which is also a record. He didn’t win any trophies during his time with the national team, coming closest in 1994 when he was on the Italian squad that finished second to Brazil. He was also a runner-up at Euro 2000, where he came up short against France. Nevertheless, he is one of the most beloved players in Italian history and a true icon.
