Who are the best Italian soccer players of all time? It’s a difficult question to answer but after taking into consideration opinions from authorities on the subject and researching for hours, this list is comprised of the top 10 Italian soccer players.
Names like Dino Zoff, Francesco Totti, Gianluigi Buffon, and Alessandro del Piero headline the selection that is sure to ignite debate about who should and shouldn’t have been included in the ten Best Italian soccer players of all time.
Whenever you think of Italy, two things come to mind – great food and great soccer.
The country has produced some of the greatest players to ever grace the sport, making it hard for us to narrow down the list to 10 of the all-time best.
But we did our best to compile this Best Italian soccer players of all time ranking featuring icons from past and present!
Top 10 Italian Football Legends
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With decades of legendary Italian soccer talent to choose from, here’s an expertly-researched list of what some consider to be the greatest Italian footballers ever.
10. Dino Zoff
Italian football legend Dino Zoff is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
He was the oldest ever World Cup winner in 1982, at the ripe age of 40, and was awarded goalkeeper of the tournament, capping off a remarkable career that included a 1968 European Championship victory and 6 Scudetti, 2 Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup win with Juventus.
According to the International Federation of Football History & Statistics, his immense talent placed him only behind Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks for greatest 21st-century goalkeepers and he was named the best Italian player of the past 50 years by UEFA’s Jubilee Awards in 2004.
9. Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi is one of the greatest football legends to ever come out of Italy.
During his 20-year-long career, he stayed with A.C. Milan and achieved every major honour in the club’s history; this included back-to-back European Cup titles while captaining the side.
His tremendous defensive prowess went on to help his team concede just 15 goals in 1993/94 as they grabbed three straight Serie A trophies between 1991 and 1994.
He won the World Cup with Italy in 1982 after his side defeated West Germany 3-1 in the final.
Baresi is commemorated for combining physical, technical, and mental strength with leadership and great intelligence, making him one of the best centre-backs of all time.
8. Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro is one of the most celebrated Italian footballers of all time.
He was renowned for his formidable physical presence, flawless timing and anticipation while tackling which earned him a reputation as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.
During his illustrious career, he won two La Liga titles with Real Madrid, UEFA Cup with Parma and World Cup title with Italy in 2006.
7. Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti is an Italian football legend who is regarded one of the greatest players to ever play the sport.
His versatility and influence on the pitch saw him clock over 600 appearances and 250 goals for Roma in his 26-year career as well as two UEFA Cup wins.
He has been described as having a wide range of offensive credentials; with fantastic ball control, passing ability and finishing accuracy, Totti had the ability to influence any match he was involved in.
His traits accounted for his immense success internationally with Italy, leading them all the way to Euro 2000 final only losing in extra time and later in 2006 earning World Cup glory.
6. Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo was one of the top footballers in his time.
His technique on the ball and accuracy in passing set him apart from the competition as he excelled in controlling play as a midfielder.
Pirlo had remarkable flair, taking free kicks with tremendous curve and flare, along with daring panenka penalties and stepovers; all of which cemented his place in highlight reels for fans around the world.
Ultimately winning the 2006 World Cup further solidifies Andrea Pirlo as one of Italy’s greatest football legends.
5. Alessandro del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero often referred to as one of the greatest Italian football legends, made an impressive 346 goals throughout his career and is second only to Silvio Piola in terms of goals scored.
He captured the hearts of fans everywhere with his technical gifts, eye for spectacular goals, and free-kick prowess.
Notably, Del Piero was instrumental in helping Juve win the Champions League title in 1996 and six league titles.
His career reached its peak when he scored Italy’s second goal during a 2-0 semi-final win over Germany in the 2006 World Cup before converting a penalty kick during the final shoot-out against France.
4. Roberto Baggio
The Italian footballing legend Roberto Baggio is a player whose influence on the game can never be forgotten.
His technical skills, creativity and unpredictability made him a star and gave rise to his being named one of the greatest players ever.
From when he moved to Juventus in 1990, until he retired from the game, Baggio won countless awards including Serie A, Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup titles, as well as the Ballon d’Or title in 1993.
3. Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon has been long-regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers in footballing history and is recognised for his speed, agility, and unmatched leadership capabilities.
This Italian football legend gained incredible success throughout his career, winning 10 Serie A titles with Juventus as well as claiming a spot on the 2006 World Cup-winning team.
He holds an impressive commemoration of 176 appearances for his country which sets him as the all-time record holder for most appearances – an accolade that many only dream of achieving.
2. Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini is a legendary Italian footballer who had a career spanning 25 years and he is renowned for being one of the best defenders in history.
He spent his entire career with AC Milan, where he won an impressive 25 titles, including seven Serie A wins and five Champions League trophies.
Twice he captained the Italian national team to the FIFA World Cup final but unfortunately, they lost both times.
At just 16 years old, Maldini made his debut for AC Milan and quickly established himself as a regular in the starting lineup.
His technical prowess, anticipation, and stamina made him an excellent fullback or wing-back while his experience allowed him to move to centre-back toward the end of his career.
Maldini holds 126 caps with Italy’s national team and was their captain from 1994 until 2002, making him one of Italy’s most beloved football legends.
1. Giuseppe Meazza
Giuseppe Meazza is a revered figure in Italian football and a true legend of the game, which is one of the reasons he is number one on our list of 10 Best Italian soccer players of all time.
Meazza distinguished himself by winning two World Cup triumphs with Italy in 1934 and 1938, as well as with his incredible goalscoring prowess.
With his flashy style on and off the pitch, Giuseppe usually played as a forward or an inside midfielder.
He was praised for his accurate passing, shooting and dribbling skills, plus legendary heading ability – Meazza scored 33 goals in 53 appearances – the second-highest goalscorer of the Italian team to date!
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
