Welcome to OneFootball’s definitive ranking of the 25 greatest players of the last 25 years.
Over the course of 25 days, we will be counting down our top 25 men’s footballers of the 21st century so far, before revealing the winner on 1st January 2025.
Check out the list so far here
Today, our countdown continues with…
Nationality: Italian (126 caps, 13 goals)
Main clubs: Milan
Major trophies won: Serie A (x7), Champions League (x5), European Super Cup (x4), Club World Cup (x3)
Major individual awards: World Cup All Star (x2), European Championship Team of the Tournament (x3), Serie A Defender of the Year (x1)
Highest ranking by voters: 5th (one voter)
Paolo Maldini – nicknamed Il Capitano – is arguably the strongest defender of all time, and few others can hold a candle to his trophy haul and list of record and accomplishments.
Maldini is a true symbol of Milan, with whom he lifted every possible trophy, including five Champions Leagues.
His playing career stretched over 25 years, a testament to both his ability and longevity.
Despite everything he has achieved in the game, Maldini strangely labelled himself as ‘the biggest loser in football’ in an Instagram Live Q&A. His justification was as follows: “I won a lot, including five Champions Leagues, but I also lost three Champions League finals, a European Super Cup final, three Intercontinental Cup finals, a World Cup final, a European Championship final, a World Cup semi-final, I could go on… I’ve been lucky enough to win a lot and losing is part of the game so honestly I’ve accepted it now.”
Thirty-eight members of OneFootball’s global editorial team ranked their top 25 players of the 21st century so far. Players ranked at #1 earned 25 points, second place earned 24 points, and so on. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest individual ranking was placed higher on the list.
📸 FILIPPO MONTEFORTE – 2007 AFP
