The Best Soccer Players From Italy

Ranker Soccer
Updated June 1, 2024 53.3K views 173 items
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Vote up the best Italian footballers of all time.

Who are the best football players from Italy? These are the greatest soccer players from Italy. The Italian men's national team has a long and storied history of winning tournaments and producing some of the top international talent. So much so, the Azzurri have won four world cups and two European Championships. So, who are the best footballers from Italy? Who is the best Italian soccer player of all time?

Some of the best Italian soccer players include national legends like Gigi Buffon, Andrea Pirlo, and Fabio Cannavaro. There are also current Italy football stars such as Ciro Immobile, Marco Verratti, and Lorenzo Insigne, who helped Italy win the Euro Cup in 2021. 

Vote up the best soccer players from the Italy, and help decide who is the greatest Italian footballer of all time!

Most divisive: Nicola Berti
Over 800 Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Italian Footballers
  • Paolo Maldini
    1

    Paolo Maldini

    Age: 55
    465 votes
    Paolo Cesare Maldini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni]; born 26 June 1968) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a left back and central defender for A.C. Milan and the Italy national team, who is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever defenders, and as one of the greatest players of all time. He is currently serving as technical director for Milan, as well as being co-owner of North American Soccer League (NASL) club Miami FC. During his playing career, he spent all 25 seasons of his career in the Serie A with Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009. He won 25 trophies with Milan: the UEFA Champions League five times, seven Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana titles, five European Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup. Maldini made his debut for Italy in 1988, playing for 14 years before retiring in 2002 with 7 goals and 126 caps, an appearance record at the time, which has since only been topped by Fabio Cannavaro in 2009 and Gianluigi Buffon in 2013. Maldini captained Italy for eight years and held the record for appearances made as Italy's captain, wearing the armband 74 times, until he was once again overtaken by Cannavaro, in 2010, and subsequently Buffon. With Italy, Maldini took part in four FIFA World Cups and three UEFA European Championships. Although he did not win a tournament with Italy, he reached the final of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000, and the semi-final of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1988. He was elected into the all-star teams for each of these tournaments, in addition to Euro 1996. He played at a world class level for his entire career spanning two-and-a-half decades, and won the Best Defender trophy at the UEFA Club Football Awards at the age of 39, as well as the Serie A Defender of the Year Award in 2004. He came second to George Weah for FIFA World Player of the Year in 1995. Maldini also placed third in the Ballon d'Or in 1994 and 2003. In 2002, he was chosen as a defender on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team, and in 2004 Pelé named him in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.As the Milan and Italy captain for many years he was considered a leader by fellow footballers, leading to the nickname "Il Capitano" ("The Captain"). Maldini holds the records for most appearances in Serie A, with 647, and also held the record for most appearances in UEFA Club competitions, with 174, until he was overtaken by Iker Casillas in 2017. He is also the record appearance holder for Milan with 902 appearances in all competitions. He is one of only 18 players to have made over 1,000 career appearances. Following his retirement after the 2008–09 season, his lifelong club Milan retired his number 3 shirt, and in December 2012, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame. Paolo's father Cesare formerly played for and captained Milan, and was a successful national under-21 manager, who also coached both Milan, and the senior national side during France 1998.
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  • Gianluigi Buffon
    2

    Gianluigi Buffon

    Age: 46
    386 votes
    Gianluigi Buffon, (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanluˈiːdʒi bufˈfɔn, -ˈfon]; born 28 January 1978) commonly shortened to Gigi Buffon, is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus. He is widely regarded by players, pundits and managers as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and, by some, as the greatest ever.At club level, Buffon's professional career began with Parma in 1995, where he made his Serie A debut. He soon earned a reputation as one of the most promising young goalkeepers in Italy, and helped Parma win the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana, in 1999. After joining Juventus in 2001 for the world record fee for a goalkeeper of €52 million at the time, Buffon won Serie A titles in both of his first two seasons at the club, and established himself as one of the best players in the world in his position. With Juventus, he won a record nine Serie A titles, four Coppa Italia titles, and five Supercoppa Italiana titles. After 17 years with Juventus, Buffon signed with French club Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 40 in 2018, where he immediately won the Trophée des Champions and the Ligue 1 title in his only season with the team, before returning to Juventus the following year. With 176 international caps, Buffon is the most capped player in the history of the Italy national team, the fourth-most capped footballer of all time, and the most capped European international player ever; Buffon also holds the record most appearances for Italy as captain after he inherited the armband in 2010. Buffon was called up for a record of five FIFA World Cup tournaments (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014) since making his debut in 1997; he was an unused substitute in the 1998 edition. He was the starting goalkeeper of the squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also represented Italy at four European Championships, at the 1996 Olympics, and at two FIFA Confederations Cups, winning a bronze medal in the 2013 edition of the tournament. He retired from international football in 2017, after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, although he later came out of retirement for the team's friendlies the following year, before officially confirming his international retirement in May 2018. Buffon was the runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in 2006, and has been elected part of the FIFPro World XI three times. He is the first goalkeeper ever to win the Golden Foot Award, and the first goalkeeper to win Serie A Footballer of the Year award. He was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record 12 times. He was named the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper a record five times, alongside Iker Casillas, and was also named the best goalkeeper of the 21st century, of the past 25 years, and of the decade, by the same organisation. He holds the record for the most clean sheets in Serie A, and with the Italy national team; he also holds the record for the longest streak without conceding a goal in Serie A history: over 12 league matches, he went unbeaten for 974 consecutive minutes during the 2015–16 season, as well as having achieved the most consecutive clean sheets (10) in Serie A in that same season. He is also one of only twenty-five players to have made at least 1,000 professional career appearances. He was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004. Following his performances during the 2006 World Cup, where he kept a record five clean sheets, he won the Yashin Award, in which he was also elected to be part of the Team of the Tournament; an honour which he also received after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2008 European Championship, and the final of the 2012 European Championship. Buffon is the only goalkeeper to have won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award, which he won after reaching the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final; he also won the award for best Goalkeeper that year. He has also been voted into the UEFA Team of the Year five times. After reaching the 2015 and 2017 Champions League finals, he was named to the Champions League Squad of the Season on both occasions, and won the inaugural The Best FIFA Goalkeeper award in the latter year.
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  • Roberto Baggio
    3

    Roberto Baggio

    Age: 57
    380 votes
    Roberto Baggio (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˈbaddʒo]; born 18 February 1967) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a second striker, or as an attacking midfielder, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. He is the former president of the technical sector of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). A technically gifted, creative playmaker and a set piece specialist, renowned for his curling free-kicks, dribbling skills, and goalscoring, Baggio is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. In 1999, he came fourth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll, and was chosen on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002. In 1993, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players.Baggio played for Italy in 56 matches, scoring 27 goals, and is the joint fourth-highest goalscorer for his national team, alongside Alessandro Del Piero. He starred in the Italian team that finished third in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice. At the 1994 World Cup, he led Italy to the final, scoring five goals, received the World Cup Silver Ball and was named in the World Cup All-Star Team. Although he was the star performer for Italy at the tournament, he missed the decisive penalty in the shootout of the final against Brazil. At the 1998 World Cup, he scored twice before Italy were eliminated by eventual champions France in the quarter-finals. Baggio is the only Italian to score in three World Cups, and with nine goals holds the record for most goals scored in World Cup tournaments for Italy, along with Paolo Rossi and Christian Vieri.In 2002, Baggio became the first Italian player in over 50 years to score more than 300 career goals; he is currently the fifth-highest scoring Italian in all competitions with 318 goals. In 2004, during the final season of his career, Baggio became the first player in over 30 years to score 200 goals in Serie A, and is currently the seventh-highest goalscorer of all time in Serie A, with 205 goals. In 1990, he moved from Fiorentina to Juventus for a world record transfer fee. Baggio has won two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup, playing for seven different Italian clubs during his career: Vicenza, Fiorentina, Juventus, A.C. Milan, Bologna, Inter Milan and Brescia. Baggio is known as Il Divin Codino (The Divine Ponytail), for the hairstyle he wore for most of his career, for his talent and for his Buddhist beliefs. In 2002, Baggio was nominated Goodwill Ambassador of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. In 2003, he was the inaugural winner of the "Golden Foot" award. In recognition of his human rights activism, he received the Man of Peace award from the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates in 2010. He was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2011.
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  • Franco Baresi
    4

    Franco Baresi

    Age: 64
    228 votes
    Franco Baresi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfraŋko baˈreːzi; -eːsi]; born 8 May 1960) is an Italian football youth team coach and a former player and manager. He mainly played as a sweeper or as a central defender, and spent his entire 20-year career with Serie A club Milan, captaining the club for 15 seasons. He is considered one of the greatest defenders of all-time and was ranked 19th in World Soccer magazine's list of the 100 greatest players of the 20th century. With Milan, he won three UEFA Champions League titles, six Serie A titles, four Supercoppa Italiana titles, two European Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups. With the Italy national team, he was a member of the Italian squad that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He also played in the 1990 World Cup, where he was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team, finishing third in the competition. At the 1994 World Cup, he was named Italy's captain and was an integral part of the squad that reached the final, although he would miss a penalty in the resulting shoot-out as Brazil lifted the trophy. Baresi also represented Italy at two UEFA European Championships, in 1980 and 1988, and at the 1984 Olympics, reaching the semi-finals on each occasion. The younger brother of former footballer Giuseppe Baresi, after joining the Milan senior team as a youngster, Franco Baresi was initially nicknamed "Piscinin", Milanese for "little one". Due to his skill and success, he was later known as "Kaiser Franz", a reference to fellow sweeper Franz Beckenbauer. In 1999, he was voted Milan's Player of the Century. After his final season at Milan in 1997, the club retired Baresi's shirt number 6. He was named by Pelé one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers at the FIFA centenary awards ceremony in 2004. Baresi was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
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  • Andrea Pirlo
    5

    Andrea Pirlo

    Age: 45
    314 votes
    Andrea Pirlo (Italian pronunciation: [anˈdrɛːa ˈpirlo]; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian former professional footballer. Pirlo was usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker in midfield for both his club and national teams and he is widely regarded as one of the greatest ever exponents of this position due to his vision, ball control, creativity and passing ability, as well as for being a free-kick specialist.Pirlo began his club career as an attacking midfielder with his hometown club Brescia, whom he helped win a Serie B title and subsequent promotion to Serie A in 1997. His promising performances led to a move to Inter Milan in 1998, but he struggled to gain playing time at his new club, and was sent on loan in 1999. Despite successful spells with Reggina and a return to Brescia, Pirlo was still unable to break into Inter's starting line-up and was sold to cross-city rivals A.C. Milan in 2001. At Milan, manager Carlo Ancelotti decided to transition Pirlo into a deep-lying playmaker to orchestrate the team's attacks. Pirlo excelled in his new role and soon developed into a world-class midfielder, and won a plethora of trophies, including two UEFA Champions Leagues, two UEFA Super Cups, two Serie A titles, a FIFA Club World Cup, a Supercoppa Italiana, and a Coppa Italia. After joining Juventus on a free transfer in 2011, who had gone trophyless since 2003, he added four more Serie A titles, which he won consecutively, as well as two Supercoppa Italiana titles, and a Coppa Italia. After playing in Italy for over 20 seasons, Pirlo joined Major League Soccer franchise New York City in 2015, helping the team to reach the playoffs in his second and third seasons before retiring in 2017. At international level, Pirlo is the fifth-most capped player in the history of the Italian national team with 116 caps between 2002 and 2015. He played for the Italian youth teams at U15, U18 and U21 level, captaining and leading the latter to victory in the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship as the Golden Player and Top Scorer of the tournament. He joined the Italian senior team in September 2002 and captained the Olympic team to a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics. Later, he was instrumental in the senior team's victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was named Man of the Match three times, including the final, more than any other player in the tournament, and ultimately won the Bronze Ball (awarded to the third best player of the tournament) also being elected to the Team of the Tournament. He was also elected as part of the UEFA Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament after leading Italy to the final, winning three Man of the Match awards in the process, the most of any player along with Andrés Iniesta. He has also represented the Italian senior team at the 2004 and 2008 UEFA European Championships, the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and the 2009 and 2013 FIFA Confederations Cups, finishing third in the latter edition in Brazil, where he was also elected to the Team of the Tournament. Pirlo came in third, second, fourth and third twice more in the International Federation of Football History & Statistics World Playmaker of the Year awards in 2006, 2007, 2012, 2013 and 2015, respectively. He placed fourth in the 2012 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award and seventh in the 2015 edition. He placed 7th in the 2007 FIFA World Player, 5th in the 2007 Ballon d'Or and 7th in the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or award. He was also named as part of the 2006 FIFPro World XI and the 2012 UEFA Team of the Year. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, Pirlo was also elected as Serie A Footballer of the Year and was also named as part of the Serie A team of the Year. After helping Juventus to the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, he was named to the squad of the season. In 2012, Pirlo was named the eighth best footballer in the World by The Guardian. In 2013, Bloomberg ranked him the fifth best player in Europe. In 2015, France Football rated him as one of the 10 best footballers in the world who are over the age of 36.
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  • Francesco Totti
    6

    Francesco Totti

    Age: 47
    302 votes
    Francesco Totti (Italian pronunciation: [franˈtʃesko ˈtɔtti]; born 27 September 1976) is an Italian former professional footballer who played for Roma and the Italy national team. He is often referred to as Er Bimbo de Oro (The Golden Boy), L'Ottavo Re di Roma (The Eighth King of Rome), Er Pupone (The Big Baby), Il Capitano (The Captain), and Il Gladiatore (The Gladiator) by the Italian sports media. He played primarily as an attacking midfielder or second striker, but could also play as a lone striker or winger. Totti spent his entire career at Roma, winning a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia titles, and two Supercoppa Italiana titles. He is the second-highest scorer of all time in Italian league history with 250 goals, and is the sixth-highest scoring Italian in all competitions with 316 goals. Totti is the top goalscorer and the most capped player in the club's history, holds the record for the most goals scored in Serie A while playing for a single club, and also holds the record for the youngest club captain in the history of Serie A. A creative offensive playmaker renowned for his vision, technique, and goalscoring ability, Totti is considered to be one of the greatest Italian players of all time, one of the most talented players of his generation, and Roma's greatest ever player. He won a record eleven Oscar del Calcio awards from the Italian Footballers' Association: five Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year awards, two Serie A Footballer of the Year awards, two Serie A Goal of the Year awards, one Serie A Goalscorer of the Year award, and one Serie A Young Footballer of the Year award. A 2006 FIFA World Cup winner and UEFA Euro 2000 finalist with Italy, Totti was selected in the All-Star team for both tournaments; he also represented his country at the 2002 World Cup and Euro 2004. He also won several individual awards, notably the 2007 European Golden Shoe and the 2010 Golden Foot. Totti was selected in the European team of the season for three times. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the world's greatest living players as selected by Pelé, as part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. In 2011, Totti was recognised by IFFHS as the most popular footballer in Europe. In November 2014, Totti extended his record as the oldest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history, aged 38 years and 59 days. In 2015, France Football rated him as one of the ten-best footballers in the world who are over age 36. Following his retirement in 2017, Totti was awarded the Player's Career Award and the UEFA President's Award.
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  • Alessandro Del Piero
    7

    Alessandro Del Piero

    Age: 49
    259 votes
    Alessandro Del Piero (Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro del ˈpjɛːro]; born 9 November 1974) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a deep-lying forward, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. Since 2015, he has worked as a pundit for Sky Sport Italia.A technically gifted, and creative supporting forward, who was also a free-kick specialist, Del Piero is widely regarded by players, pundits, and managers as one of the greatest players of his generation, and as one of the best Italian players of all time, winning the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year award in 1998 and 2008. A prolific goal-scorer, he is currently the second highest all-time Italian top-scorer in all competitions, with 346 goals, behind only Silvio Piola, with 390 goals; he is also the joint ninth highest goalscorer in Serie A history, with 188 goals, alongside Giuseppe Signori and Alberto Gilardino. After beginning his career with Italian club Padova in Serie B in 1991, he moved to Juventus in 1993, where he played for 19 seasons (11 as captain), and holds the club records for most goals (290) and appearances (705). During his time at the club, he won six Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, four Supercoppa Italiana titles, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the UEFA Intertoto Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup. After leaving the club in 2012, he also spent two seasons with Australian side Sydney FC; he retired after a season with Delhi Dynamos FC in the Indian Super League, in 2014. Del Piero has scored in every competition in which he has participated. In 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. In the same year, he was also voted into the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, a list of the 50 best European players of the past 50 years. Along with six awards in Italy for gentlemanly conduct, he has also won the Golden Foot award, which pertains to personality as well as playing ability. At international level, Del Piero has also represented the Italian national team at three FIFA World Cups and four UEFA European Football Championships, most notably winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup, and reaching the final of UEFA Euro 2000 with Italy. He is the joint fourth highest scorer for the Italian national team, with 27 goals, alongside Roberto Baggio, and behind only Silvio Piola with 30 goals, Giuseppe Meazza with 33 goals, and Luigi Riva with 35 goals; with 91 appearances for Italy between 1995 and 2008, he is also his nation's tenth-most capped player of all-time.
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  • Fabio Cannavaro
    8

    Fabio Cannavaro

    Age: 50
    234 votes
    Fabio Cannavaro (born 13 September 1973) is an Italian professional football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of Serie B club Benevento. A centre-back, he spent the majority of his career in Italy. He started his career at Napoli before spending seven years at Parma, with whom he won two Coppa Italia titles, the 1999 Supercoppa Italiana, and the 1999 UEFA Cup. After spells at Internazionale and Juventus, he transferred (along with manager Fabio Capello) from Juventus to Real Madrid in 2006, with whom he won consecutive La Liga titles in 2007 and 2008. After returning to Juventus for one season in 2009–10, he joined Al-Ahli in Dubai, where he retired from football in 2011 after an injury-troubled season. He is regarded as one of the best defenders of all time.
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  • Alessandro Nesta
    9

    Alessandro Nesta

    Age: 48
    174 votes
    Alessandro Nesta (Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro ˈnɛsta]; born 19 March 1976) is a former Italian professional footballer and current manager of Frosinone. Widely considered to be one of the best centre backs of his time and also as one of the greatest defenders ever, he was best known for his pace, artistic tackles, elegance on the ball, distribution and tight marking of opponents. He made over 400 Serie A appearances in a 20-year career spread between Lazio and Milan, winning domestic and European honours with both clubs as well as playing in Major League Soccer (MLS) for the Montreal Impact. He also had a stint with Chennaiyin FC of the Indian Super League. Nesta is a four-time Serie A Defender of the Year and a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year. In 2004, he was named as one of the Top 100 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration.Nesta was a member of the Italy national team for a decade from his debut in 1996, earning 78 caps in total. At international level, he competed at the 1996 Olympics, three UEFA European Championships, and three FIFA World Cups. Nesta was a member of the Italian team that won the 2006 World Cup, and he also represented the Italian side that reached the final of Euro 2000.
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  • Gianni Rivera
    10

    Gianni Rivera

    Age: 80
    87 votes
    Giovanni "Gianni" Rivera (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒanni riˈvɛːra]; born 18 August 1943, in Alessandria) is an Italian politician and former footballer who played as a midfielder. During his career as a footballer he was mostly utilised as an attacking midfielder. Dubbed Italy's "Golden Boy" by the media, he played the majority of his club career with Italian side A.C. Milan, after beginning his career with hometown club Alessandria in 1959. After joining Milan in 1960, he enjoyed a highly successful career in domestic and European football, winning three Serie A titles and two European Cups, among several other trophies, and also serving as the team's captain for twelve seasons. At international level, he represented Italy 60 times between 1962 and 1974, scoring 14 goals, and took part at four World Cups (1962, 1966, 1970, and 1974). Rivera is widely remembered for scoring the decisive goal in Italy's 4–3 extra-time win over West Germany in the semi-final of the 1970 World Cup, leading the team to final, only to suffer a 4–1 defeat against Brazil, however. Rivera was also a member of the first Italian side ever to win the European Football Championship in 1968, on home soil, and represented Italy at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, helping the team to a fourth-place finish. Rivera was an elegant, efficient, and creative offensive playmaker, with an eye for goal, who possessed excellent vision and technical ability, and who was highly regarded for his footballing intelligence, leadership, correct behaviour, and class. He is widely considered to be one of the best passers and most talented offensive playmakers of all time, due to his passing accuracy and his adeptness at providing assists. Regarded as one of the best players of his generation, one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time, and by some as Italy's greatest player ever, he was awarded the Ballon d'Or in 1969, and placed 19th in IFFHS's election for the World Player of the 20th Century. In 2015, he became the first Italian footballer out of 100 athletes to be inducted into Italy's sports Walk of Fame. In 2004, Pelé chose Rivera as part of the FIFA 100 greatest living footballers, and he placed 35th in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll.After retiring from football in 1979, Rivera became Milan's vice-president, and later went into politics in 1986; he is currently a Member of the European Parliament for the Uniti nell'Ulivo party. In 2013, he was appointed the President of the educational youth sector by the FIGC for the Italy national football team, along with Roberto Baggio and Arrigo Sacchi, under head coach Cesare Prandelli.
  • Giuseppe Meazza
    11

    Giuseppe Meazza

    Dec. at 68 (1910-1979)
    106 votes
    Giuseppe "Peppino" Meazza (Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe meˈattsa]; 23 August 1910 – 21 August 1979), also known as il Balilla, was an Italian football manager and player. Throughout his career, he played mainly for Internazionale in the 1930s, scoring 242 goals in 365 games for the club, and winning three Serie A titles, as well as the Coppa Italia; he later also played for local rivals Milan, as well as Turin rivals Juventus, in addition to his spells with Varese and Atalanta. At international level, he led Italy to win two consecutive World Cups: in 1934 on home soil, and in 1938 as captain; he was named to the All-star Team and won the Golden Ball Award at the 1934 World Cup, as the tournament's best player. Along with Giovanni Ferrari and Eraldo Monzeglio, he is one of only three Italian players to have won two World Cups. Following his retirement, he served as a coach for the Italy national team, and with several Italian clubs, including his former club sides Inter and Atalanta, as well as Pro Patria, and Turkish club Beşiktaş; he was Italy's head coach at the 1952 Summer Olympics. Meazza is widely considered one of the best players of his generation, and among the greatest of all time, as well as being regarded by many in the sport as Italy's greatest ever player. Giuseppe Prisco and Gianni Brera considered him to be the greatest footballer of all time. Due to his technical skill, prolific goalscoring, and creative ability, he was often given the nickname "il genio" (the genius) by the Italian press during his career. He has been ranked fourth-best player in the history of the World Cup. A prolific forward, Meazza won the Serie A top-scorer award on three occasions in his career; with 216 goals in Serie A, he is the fourth all-time highest goal scorer in Serie A, alongside José Altafini, and with 33 goals, he is also the second highest goalscorer for the Italian national team. With 338 goals, he is the third-highest Italian goalscorer in all competitions. He is also the youngest player ever to score 100 goals in Serie A, a feat which he achieved at the age of 23 years and 32 days. San Siro, the principal stadium in his native city of Milan, which is today shared by two of his former clubs, Internazionale and crosstown rivals A.C. Milan, is now officially called Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in the player's honour. In 2011, he was posthumously inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.
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  • Paolo Rossi
    12

    Paolo Rossi

    Age: 67
    134 votes
    Paolo Rossi (born 23 September 1956) is an Italian former professional footballer, who played as a forward. In 1982, he led Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup title, scoring six goals to win the Golden Boot as top goalscorer, and the Golden Ball for the player of the tournament. Rossi is one of only three players to have won all three awards at a World Cup, along with Garrincha in 1962, and Mario Kempes in 1978. Rossi was also awarded the 1982 Ballon d'Or as the European Footballer of the Year for his performances. Along with Roberto Baggio and Christian Vieri, he is Italy's top scorer in World Cup history, with nine goals in total.At club level, Rossi was also a prolific goalscorer for Vicenza. In 1976, he was signed to Juventus from Vicenza in a co-ownership deal for a world record transfer fee. Vicenza retained his services, and he was top goalscorer in Serie B in 1977, leading his team to promotion to Serie A. The following season, Rossi scored 24 goals, to become the first player to top the scoring charts in Serie B and Serie A in consecutive seasons. In 1981 Rossi made his debut for Juventus, and went on to win two Serie A titles, the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the European Cup. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian footballers of all time, Rossi was named in 2004 by Pelé as one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebration. In the same year, Rossi placed 12 in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll. Since retiring, Rossi has gone into sports journalism and punditry. He currently works as a pundit for Mediaset Premium.
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  • Dino Zoff
    13

    Dino Zoff

    Age: 82
    130 votes
    Dino Zoff (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdiːno dˈdzɔf]; born 28 February 1942) is an Italian former professional football goalkeeper and is the oldest ever winner of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian national team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days, also winning the award for best goalkeeper of the tournament, and being elected to the team of the tournament for his performances, keeping two clean-sheets, an honour he also received after winning the 1968 European Championship on home soil; he is the only Italian player to have won both the World Cup and the European Championship. Zoff also achieved great club success with Juventus, winning 6 Serie A titles, 2 Coppa Italia titles, and an UEFA Cup, also reaching two European Champions' Cup finals in the 1972–73 and 1982–83 seasons, as well as finishing second in the 1973 Intercontinental Cup final. Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability, and he has a place in the history of the sport among the very best in this role, being named the 3rd greatest goalkeeper of the 20th century by the IFFHS behind Lev Yashin and Gordon Banks. He holds the record for the longest playing time without allowing goals in international tournaments (1142 minutes) set between 1972 and 1974. With 112 caps, he is the sixth most capped player for the Azzurri. In 2004 Pelé named him as one of the 100 greatest living footballers. In the same year, Zoff placed fifth in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll, and was elected as Italy's golden player of the past 50 years. He also placed second in the 1973 Ballon d'Or, as he narrowly missed out on a treble with Juventus. In 1999, Zoff placed 47th in World Soccer Magazine's 100 Greatest Players of the Twentieth Century.After retiring as a footballer, Zoff went on to pursue a managerial career, coaching the Italian national team, with which he reached the Euro 2000 Final, and several other Italian clubs, including his former club Juventus, with which he won an UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia double during the 1989–90 season, trophies he had also won as a player. In September 2014, Zoff published his Italian autobiography Dura Solo un Attimo la Gloria ("Glory only Lasts a Moment").
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  • Luigi Riva
    14

    Luigi Riva

    Age: 79
    87 votes
    Luigi "Gigi" Riva (Italian: [luˈiːdʒi ˈdʒiːdʒi ˈriːva]; born 7 November 1944) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-forward. Considered to be one of the best players of his generation, as well as one of the greatest strikers of all time, Riva enjoyed a remarkable scoring record for Cagliari, thanks to his composure in front of goal, powerful left foot and aerial ability; his speed, strength and eye for goal led the Italian journalist Gianni Brera to nickname him "Rombo di Tuono" (Roar of Thunder). Aside from his debut season with Legnano, Riva remained with the Sardinian club for his entire career: he helped Cagliari achieve promotion to the Italian top-flight for the first time in 1964, and later led the club to their only Serie A title in 1969–70.At international level, Riva won the 1968 UEFA European Championship and was runner-up at the 1970 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team; he also took part at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. With 35 goals in 42 appearances (in all official competitions) between 1965 and 1974, he is Italy's all-time leading goalscorer.After retiring in 1976, Riva briefly served as the president of Cagliari during the 1986–87 season, and was later the team manager and director of the Italian national team from 1988 until 2013.
  • Gianfranco Zola
    15

    Gianfranco Zola

    Age: 57
    131 votes
    Gianfranco Zola (Italian pronunciation: [dʒaɱˈfraŋko dˈdzɔːla]; born 5 July 1966) is an Italian football manager and former footballer who played predominantly as a forward. He was most recently the assistant manager of Chelsea. He spent the first decade of his playing career playing in Italy, most notably with Napoli, alongside Diego Maradona and Careca, where he was able to win the Serie A title, and at Parma, where he won the Italian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup. He later moved to English side Chelsea, where he was voted the Football Writers' Player of the Year in the 1996–97 season. During his time at the club, he won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, two FA Cups, the League Cup, and the Community Shield. In 2003, he was voted Chelsea's greatest player ever. He was capped 35 times for Italy from his debut in 1991, appearing at the 1994 World Cup, where Italy finished in second place, and Euro 1996. After a stint with Italy under-21s, Zola began his club managerial career with West Ham United of the Premier League in 2008 in the Premier League, before being sacked in 2010. He was manager of Watford from July 2012 until he announced his resignation on 16 December 2013. From December 2014 to March 2015 he managed Cagliari in Serie A. He returned to Chelsea as the assistant of new Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri on 18 July 2018, ahead of the 2018–19 Premier League season.
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  • Giorgio Chiellini
    16

    Giorgio Chiellini

    Age: 39
    135 votes
    Giorgio Chiellini (born 14 August 1984) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Los Angeles FC (LAFC). Chiellini is considered to be one of the best defenders in the world. A physically strong, aggressive, and versatile defender, although he is usually deployed as a centre-back, he is also capable of playing as a left-back, both in a three or four-man defense. With Juventus, he has won a record-nine consecutive Serie A titles from 2012 to 2020, as well as five Coppa Italia titles and five Supercoppa Italiana titles, having also played two UEFA Champions League finals in 2015 and 2017. Chiellini has been named in the Serie A Team of the Year five times: in 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18 and 2018–19 and has been awarded the Serie A Defender of the Year also three times: in 2008, 2009 and 2010.
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  • Giacinto Facchetti
    17

    Giacinto Facchetti

    Dec. at 64 (1942-2006)
    50 votes
    Giacinto Facchetti (Italian pronunciation: [dʒaˈtʃinto fakˈketti]; 18 July 1942 – 4 September 2006) was an Italian footballer who played as a defender. From January 2004 until his death, he was chairman of Internazionale, for which he played for his entire career during the 1960s and 1970s. He played 634 official games for the club, scoring 75 goals, and was a member of the Inter team which is often referred to as "Grande Inter", under manager Helenio Herrera, with which he won four Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, two European Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups. At international level, Facchetti represented the Italy national football team on 94 occasions, and took part at three FIFA World Cups, winning a runners-up medal in the 1970 edition of the tournament, in which he was also elected to the All-star Team. He was also captain of the national side that won Italy's first ever UEFA European Football Championship on home soil in 1968, where he was also elected to the team of the tournament. Facchetti is remembered as one of the first truly great attacking full-backs, and placed second in the Ballon d'Or in 1965. He is regarded as one of the best players of all time in his position, due to his pace, technique, intelligence, physique, and stamina, and formed a formidable defensive partnership with fellow full-back Tarcisio Burgnich in Inter's defensive catenaccio system at club level, as well as with the Italian national side. In addition to his playing ability, Facchetti also stood out for his discipline and leadership throughout his career, and served both as Inter's and Italy's captain for several years.In March 2004, Pelé named him one of the Top 125 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA's 100th anniversary celebrations. Following Facchetti's death in 2006, he was named one of the year's Golden Foot "Football Legends", and was also the recipient of the FIFA Presidential Award. In 2015, he was posthumously inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.
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  • Gaetano Scirea
    18

    Gaetano Scirea

    Dec. at 36 (1953-1989)
    42 votes
    Gaetano Scirea (Italian pronunciation: [ɡaeˈtaːno ʃiˈrɛːa]; 25 May 1953 – 3 September 1989) was an Italian professional footballer who is considered one of the greatest defenders of all-time.Scirea is one of only five players in European football history to have won all international trophies for football clubs recognized by UEFA and FIFA. Scirea is also one of only nine players in the history of the European football that won all three major UEFA football competitions, a feat he managed while playing with Juventus, the Italian club with which he spent the majority of his career, aside from two seasons with Atalanta. At international level, he played for the Italian national team for more than a decade, during which he was an undisputed member of Italy's defensive line-up, keeping Franco Baresi out of the national team for four years, until he retired in 1986. Scirea became a World Champion with the 1982 FIFA World Cup winning team, which defeated Brazil 3–2 in a decisive second round match and Germany 3–1 in the final; he also represented Italy in two more World Cups, finishing in fourth-place in 1978, and UEFA Euro 1980, where Italy once again managed a fourth-place finish. Scirea was a modern and highly talented defender, gifted with excellent technical skills and tactical ability, who was known for his pace, elegance on the ball, and innate capacity to read the game. In contrast to the ruthless tactics often employed by other defenders, including his paired partner, Claudio Gentile, Scirea was renowned for his class, fair play and sportsmanship. Scirea never earned a red card in his career. He was also known for his leadership, serving as captain of both Juventus and the Italian national side.A former midfielder, he played the sweeper, or libero, role for most of his career, and contributed to the development of the position, due to his vision, composure on the ball and passing ability. Thus, in addition to aiding his team defensively, Scirea would detach himself from the defensive line and contribute to the attacking potential of his team, frequently being involved in the build-up of goals, and sometimes even scoring himself. In the latter part of his career, as he lost his pace, Scirea played a more defensive role as a centre-back.He was married to Mariella Cavanna; together they had a son, Riccardo. Mariella has become a politician after her husband's death.
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  • Sandro Mazzola
    19

    Sandro Mazzola

    Age: 54
    40 votes
    Alessandro Mazzola (born 15 June 1969) is a retired Italian football player who played as a midfielder; he currently works as a team manager for one of his former clubs, Hellas Verona.
  • Gennaro Gattuso
    20

    Gennaro Gattuso

    Age: 46
    94 votes
    Gennaro Ivan "Rino" Gattuso (Italian pronunciation: [dʒenˈnaːro ɡatˈtuːzo]; born 9 January 1978) is a retired Italian footballer who was most recently the manager of Milan.As a player, he mainly played in the centre as a defensive midfielder, although he was also capable of playing on the wing. He initially played for Perugia, Salernitana and Rangers, though he is mostly remembered for his time with Milan in Serie A, where he won the Champions League, in 2002–03 and 2006–07, the Coppa Italia in 2002–03, and also the Serie A title in 2003–04 and 2010–11. In addition to these titles, he also won two Italian Supercups, two UEFA Supercups, and a FIFA Club World Cup. At international level, he represented the Italy national football team at the 2000 Summer Olympics, three FIFA World Cups, two UEFA European Championships, and the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Gattuso's talismanic midfield partnership with playmaker Andrea Pirlo, both at club and international level, played a key role in Italy's World Cup victory in 2006, as well as Milan's domestic, European, and international successes during the mid-2000s. Despite not being blessed with notable technical skills, Gattuso's pace, strength, and work-rate complemented and supported Pirlo's composed, creative playing style, while his energy, aggression, and hard-tackling style of play enabled him to make a name for himself as one of the best players in the world in his position. In addition to his ball-winning abilities, Gattuso was also renowned for his competitive nature and leadership qualities throughout his career, often wearing the captain's armband for Milan following Paolo Maldini's retirement.Gattuso's managerial career began as player-manager of his final club, Sion of the Swiss Super League, and he also had short spells in charge of Palermo and OFI Crete. In June 2016, he led Pisa to Serie B promotion.
  • Gianluca Zambrotta
    21

    Gianluca Zambrotta

    Age: 47
    85 votes
    Gianluca Zambrotta (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanˈluːka ddzamˈbrɔtta]; born 19 February 1977) is an Italian former professional footballer, who played as a full back or as a winger. Throughout his career, Zambrotta played for several different Italian clubs. He began his career with local club Como in 1994, and gained prominence while playing for Bari, which earned him a transfer to Juventus in 1999. During his seven seasons with the club, he won two consecutive Serie A and Supercoppa Italiana titles in 2002 and 2003, also reaching the 2003 UEFA Champions League final. He also later spent two relatively unsuccessful seasons with Barcelona between 2006 and 2008, where he won the 2006 Supercopa de España, before returning to Italy to play for Milan, where he won his third Serie A and Supercoppa Italiana titles in 2011. He ended his career after a season with Swiss club Chiasso in 2014, whom he later went on to coach. At international level, Zambrotta won 98 caps for the Italy national team, playing at three FIFA World Cups, three UEFA European Championship, the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2000 Summer Olympics. He was part of their side that reached the Euro 2000 final, and he was also selected to the Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament. He was most notably a key member of the starting lineup of the Italian squad that won the 2006 World Cup, and he was selected in the Team of the Tournament for his performances. Zambrotta was decorated as Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (Cavaliere O.M.R.I.) in 2000 and he was made an Officer of the same order (Ufficiale O.M.R.I.) in 2006.
  • Sandro Mazzola
    22

    Sandro Mazzola

    Age: 81
    53 votes
    Alessandro Mazzola (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsandro matˈtsɔːla]; born 8 November 1942) is an Italian former professional footballer, who played as a forward or attacking midfielder for Internazionale and the Italy national team. He currently works as a football analyst and commentator on the Italian national television station RAI. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian football players of all time, and as one of the best players of his generation, due to his speed, work-rate, creativity, technical skills and eye for goal; he placed second in the 1971 Ballon d'Or. Having spent his entire 17 season career with Inter, he holds the honour of being a one-club man. With the club, he won four Serie A titles (1963, 1965, 1966 and 1971), two European Cups (1964 and 1965) and two Intercontinental Cups (1964 and 1965), also winning the Serie A top scorer award during the 1964–65 season, in which he also reached the Coppa Italia final, narrowly missing out on a treble with the club. With the Italian national side, Mazzola won the UEFA European Championship in 1968, being named to the Team of the Tournament, and reached the final of the 1970 FIFA World Cup; he also took part in the 1966 and 1974 FIFA World Cups with Italy. He is the son of Italian footballer Valentino Mazzola, player of the Grande Torino who died in the Superga air disaster. Sandro Mazzola's younger brother, Ferruccio Mazzola, was also a footballer, who died in 2013.
  • Gianluca Vialli
    23

    Gianluca Vialli

    Age: 59
    55 votes
    Gianluca Vialli (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanˈluːka viˈalli]; born 9 July 1964) is an Italian football manager and former footballer who played as a striker. Since retiring, he has gone into management and punditry and is a commentator for Sky Sport Italia.Vialli started his club career at Cremonese in 1980 in his native Italy where he made 105 league appearances scoring 23 goals. His performances impressed Sampdoria who signed him in 1984. During which time he scored 85 league goals, won 3 Italian cups, the Serie A and the European Cup Winners Cup. Vialli transferred to Juventus for a World record £12.5 million in 1992. During this time he won the Italian Cup, the Serie A, Italian Supercup, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Cup. In 1996 Vialli joined Chelsea and became Chelsea player manager the following season. In England he won the FA Cup, League Cup, UEFA Cup Winners Cup and UEFA Super Cup. He is one of nine footballers to have won the three main European club competitions, and the only forward to have done so; he is also the only player in European footballing history to have both winner's and runner's up medals in all three main European club competitions, including two winners medals for the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. At international level, Vialli represented Italy at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, and at the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where Italy finished in third-place on home soil. He also took part at UEFA Euro 1988, helping his nation to a semi-final finish, and was elected to the team of the tournament. During his twenty years long career as a professional footballer he scored 259 goals at club level, 16 goals with the national team, and 11 goals with the Italy national under-21 football team, for a total of 286 goals in more than 500 appearances, making him the tenth-highest scoring Italian player in all competitions.
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  • Filippo Inzaghi
    24

    Filippo Inzaghi

    Age: 50
    79 votes
    Filippo "Pippo" Inzaghi (Italian pronunciation: [fiˈlippo inˈtsaːɡi]; born 9 August 1973) is a retired Italian professional footballer and current manager, who currently serves as head coach of Serie B team Benevento. Inzaghi played as a striker for several Italian clubs, and spent the most notable spells of his club career with Juventus and Milan, winning two UEFA Champions League titles (2003, 2007), and three Serie A titles (1998, 2004, 2011). He is the seventh highest scorer in Italy, with 313 goals scored in official matches. He is currently the fourth-highest goal scorer in European club competitions with 70 goals, behind only Raúl, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. He is also Milan's top international goal scorer in the club's history with 43 goals. He also holds the record for most hat-tricks in Serie A with 10. At international level, Inzaghi earned 57 caps for the Italy national team between 1997 and 2007, scoring 25 goals. He represented his country at three FIFA World Cups, winning the 2006 edition, and he also took part at UEFA Euro 2000, where he won a runners-up medal.
  • Bruno Conti
    25

    Bruno Conti

    Age: 69
    60 votes
    Bruno Conti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈbruːno ˈkonti]; born 13 March 1955) is an Italian football manager and former player. He coached Serie A club Roma from 14 March 2005 to 30 June 2005; he is currently head of the club's youth sector. Throughout his playing career, he was usually deployed as a winger, and also previously played for Roma, where he spent his entire club career, aside from two season-long loan spells with Genoa in the 70s. He is considered by many in the sport to be one of the greatest Italian players of all time in his position. Nicknamed "The Mayor of Rome", he was an important figure in the club's history, and won a league title as well as five Coppa Italia titles during his time in the Italian capital. At international level, he was notably a member of Italy's 1982 FIFA World Cup winning team, and also took part at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
  • Leonardo Bonucci
    26

    Leonardo Bonucci

    Age: 37
    75 votes
    Leonardo Bonucci (born 1 May 1987) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club Juventus and the Italy national team.After beginning his career with Internazionale in 2005, Bonucci spent the next few seasons on loan at Treviso and Pisa, before moving to Bari in 2009. His technique, ball-playing ability and defensive performances alongside fellow Italian centre-back Andrea Ranocchia earned him a move to Juventus the following season, where he later became a key member of the club's three-man defensive line, alongside Giorgio Chiellini and Andrea Barzagli, establishing himself as one of the best defenders in world football. He went on to win six consecutive Serie A titles with the team between 2012 and 2017. In 2017, he moved to Milan, and one season later returned to Juventus. At international level, Bonucci has represented Italy at two FIFA World Cups (2010 and 2014), two European Championships (2012 and 2016), and a FIFA Confederations Cup (2013), winning a runners-up medal at Euro 2012, and a third-place medal at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. Bonucci has also won several individual honours for his performances: he was named to the UEFA Europa League Squad of the season during the 2013–14 and 2017–18 seasons, and is a three-time member of the Serie A Team of the Year. He was named the Serie A Footballer of the Year in 2016, and was also included in the UEFA Team of the Year in the same season. In 2017, he was also included in the FIFA FIFPro World XI and the IFFHS Men's World Team, as well as the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season and the 2016–17 ESM Team of the Year.
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  • Daniele De Rossi
    27

    Daniele De Rossi

    Age: 40
    74 votes
    Daniele De Rossi (Italian pronunciation: [daˈnjɛːle de ˈrossi]; born 24 July 1983) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Boca Juniors in the Argentine Primera División. He is most known for his time playing with A.S. Roma in Serie A. He is also a former Italy national team player. De Rossi made his professional debut with Roma during the 2001–02 season, and made his Serie A debut the following year. With the club, he has won the Coppa Italia twice in 2007 and 2008, and the 2007 Supercoppa Italiana. He was named Serie A Young Footballer of the Year in 2006, and the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year in 2009. De Rossi inherited the captaincy of Roma at the start of the 2017–18 season, following the retirement of Francesco Totti, during which he helped Roma to the Champions League semi-final for the first time in the Champions League era. At the end of the 2018–19 season, he left Roma after 18 seasons with the team. With 616 appearances for Roma in all competitions, he is the club's second-most capped player of all time, behind Totti. He subsequently joined Argentine club Boca Juniors in the summer of 2019. De Rossi represented Italy at under-19, under-20, under-21 and senior levels, winning the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, and also represented Italy at the 2004 Olympics, winning a bronze medal. From his senior international debut in 2004, until his retirement from the national team in 2017, he earned 117 caps, and is Italy's fourth-highest capped player of all time. With 21 goals, he is the highest scoring midfielder for Italy post-World War II, and Italy's all-time second most prolific midfielder behind Adolfo Baloncieri. He was part of the 2006 FIFA World Cup-winning squad and has also participated at UEFA Euro 2008, the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, the 2010 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2012 (finishing in second place), the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup (finishing in third place), the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Euro 2016. De Rossi was named in the Euro 2012 Team of the Tournament for his performances. Along with Mario Balotelli and Giuseppe Rossi, De Rossi is Italy's top scorer in the Confederations Cup, with two goals. In 2009, the French sports magazine L'Équipe named De Rossi as the eighth-best midfielder in the world.
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  • Cesare Maldini
    28

    Cesare Maldini

    Age: 92
    69 votes
    Cesare Maldini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈtʃeːzare malˈdiːni, ˈtʃɛː-]; 5 February 1932 – 3 April 2016) was an Italian professional football manager and player, who played as a defender. Father to Paolo Maldini, Cesare began his career with Italian side Triestina, before transferring to Milan in 1954, with whom he won four Serie A league titles and one European Cup during his twelve seasons with the club. He retired in 1967, after a season with Torino. Internationally, he played for the Italian national team, earning 14 caps and participating in the 1962 World Cup. He served as team captain for both Milan and Italy. As a manager, he also coached his former club Milan on two occasions, as well as Italian sides Foggia, Ternana and Parma. He had a successful career in charge of the Italy under-21 side, winning the European Under-21 Championship a record three consecutive times; he later also coached the Italy senior team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and the Paraguay national football team at the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
  • Giuseppe Bergomi
    29

    Giuseppe Bergomi

    Age: 60
    64 votes
    Giuseppe "Beppe" Bergomi (Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe ˈbɛrɡomi]; born 22 December 1963) is an Italian retired footballer who spent his entire career at Internazionale. A one-club man, Bergomi held the record of most appearances for the club for several years, while also being the side's longtime captain. He was affectionately referred to as "Lo zio" ("the uncle") because of his bushy eyebrows and the impressive moustache he wore even as a youngster.He is regarded as one of the greatest Italian defenders of all time, and as one of the best of his generation, being elected by Pelé to be part of the FIFA 100 in 2004.Bergomi currently works as a pundit at Sky Sports Italia and frequently co-commentates on Serie A matches alongside Fabio Caressa.
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  • Mario Corso
    30

    Mario Corso

    Age: 82
    29 votes
    Mario Corso (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmaːrjo ˈkorso]; born 25 August 1941), nicknamed Mariolino, is an Italian former football player and coach. A famed and dynamic left winger, he is regarded as one of the greatest Italian players in his position, earning the nicknames "Mandrake" and "God's Left Foot", due to his skills, free kick technique and crossing ability.Corso is mostly remembered for his highly successful club career at Inter, and was a key member of Helenio Herrera's Grande Inter side. He has also represented the Italy national football team on 23 occasions. After retiring, he later served as a coach for Internazionale and other teams, winning the B group of the 1987–88 Serie C2 campaign with Mantova.
  • Omar Sívori
    31

    Omar Sívori

    Dec. at 69 (1935-2005)
    39 votes
    Enrique Omar Sívori (Spanish: [enˈrike oˈmaɾ ˈsiβoɾi], Italian: [ˈɔːmar ˈsiːvori]; 2 October 1935 – 17 February 2005) was an Italian-Argentine football player and manager who played as a forward. At club level, he is known for his successful time with Italian side Juventus during the late 1950s and early 1960s, where he won three Serie A titles among other trophies; he also played for River Plate in Argentina and Napoli in Italy. At international level, he first appeared for the Argentine national team, winning the South American Championship in 1957. Later in his career, he played for the Italian national team and took part in some of the 1962 World Cup. After his retirement as player, he coached several teams in Argentina, including the national side. Regarded as one of the greatest players of his generation and as one of the greatest football players of all time, Sívori was known for his outstanding skill, speed, goalscoring ability, technique, creativity, and his footballing talent was widely acclaimed. He won the South American Championship Best Player award in 1957 and the coveted European Footballer of the Year award in 1961.
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  • Roberto Donadoni
    32

    Roberto Donadoni

    Age: 60
    52 votes
    Roberto Donadoni (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto donaˈdoːni]; born 9 September 1963) is an Italian football manager and former midfielder, who is the current head coach of Chinese club Shenzhen F.C.. A complete, versatile and hard-working winger, known for his pace, stamina, offensive capabilities, distribution and technical skills, Donadoni was capable of playing on either flank, or even in the centre. Donadoni began his career with Atalanta, and he later became a pillar of the powerhouse Milan team of the late 1980s and early '90s, achieving notable domestic and international success during his time with the club. In his later career, he was also one of the pioneers of Major League Soccer, where he played two seasons for the NY/NJ MetroStars, ending his career with Saudi Premier League side Ittihad in 2000. At international level, Donadoni was also an important member of the Italy national team throughout the late 1980s and early '90s. He represented his country at the 1988 and 1996 European Championships, and at the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cups. With Italy, he reached the semi-finals of Euro 1988, and won bronze and silver medals at the 1990 and 1994 World Cups respectively. Following his playing career, Donadoni began a career as a manager in 2001, which included spells with Italian clubs Lecco, Livorno and Genoa. He was later appointed head coach of the Italy national team, succeeding Marcello Lippi, who resigned after having won the 2006 World Cup. At Euro 2008, with Donadoni as coach, Italy reached the quarter-finals of the tournament, losing to eventual champions Spain on penalties. On 26 June 2008, Donadoni was dismissed despite having signed a contract extension prior to the beginning of Euro 2008, using a clause in the contract which allowed termination if Italy did not reach the semi-final. He was replaced by Lippi, who returned as national team manager. Following his position as Italy head coach, Donadoni managed Napoli, Cagliari and Parma, until the latter club's bankruptcy in 2015. He then joined Bologna the following season.
  • Franco Causio
    33

    Franco Causio

    Age: 75
    19 votes
    Franco Causio (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfraŋko ˈkauzjo]; born 1 February 1949 in Lecce) is an Italian, World Cup winning former footballer who played for Juventus for many years in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest ever wingers, throughout his career, he was give the nickname "The Baron", because of his stylish moves on the pitch, as well as his well-educated upbringing, and his fair attitude in life.
  • Marco Tardelli
    34

    Marco Tardelli

    Age: 69
    61 votes
    Marco Tardelli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmarko tarˈdɛlli]; born 24 September 1954) is an Italian former football player and manager. At club level, he played as a midfielder for several Italian clubs; he began his career with Pisa, and later played for Como, Juventus, and Internazionale, before retiring with Swiss club St. Gallen. He enjoyed a highly successful career with Juventus, winning five league titles, as well as multiple Coppa Italia titles, and four major UEFA competitions (European Cup, Cup Winner's Cup, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup), becoming one of the first three players ever to win all three major UEFA club competitions, along with Italy and Juventus teammates Antonio Cabrini and Gaetano Scirea.Tardelli also achieved success with the Italian national team. He represented his nation at a total of three FIFA World Cups (1978, 1982 and 1986), winning the 1982 edition of the tournament. His goal celebration in the 1982 final – where he ran away shaking his fists, tears pouring down his face, screaming "Gol! Gol!" as he shook his head wildly – is regarded as one of the most iconic moments in World Cup history. He also took part at UEFA Euro 1980, in which he came fourth on home soil, and was named to the team of the tournament. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest midfielders, and one of the best players of his generation, Tardelli was an energetic and hard-tackling yet technically skilful two-way midfielder, who was known for his ability to contribute both offensively and defensively. In 2004, Tardelli was named 37th in the UEFA Golden Jubilee Poll; he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2015. As a manager, Tardelli initially worked with the Italy U-16 side, and later served as an assistant manager to Cesare Maldini for the U-21 side. He subsequently led several clubs in Italy before serving as head coach of the Italy national under-21 football team, winning the 1997 Mediterranean Games and the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, before returning to coach at club level. Between 2004 and 2005 he also managed the Egypt national football team, while he served as an assistant manager to Giovanni Trapattoni with the Republic of Ireland national football team between 2008 and 2013.
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  • Gianluigi Donnarumma
    35

    Gianluigi Donnarumma

    72 votes
    Gianluigi Donnarumma (born 25 February 1999) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Paris Saint-Germain and the Italy national team. He began his career with AC Milan in 2015, becoming the second-youngest goalkeeper ever to debut in Serie A, aged 16 years and 242 days; he immediately broke into the starting line-up, earning a reputation as arguably the most promising young goalkeeper in the world at the time. He also broke the record as the youngest Italy under-21 player ever to play, aged 17 years and 28 days in March 2016. Six months later, he made his senior international debut, becoming the youngest goalkeeper ever to appear for Italy, aged 17 years and 189 days. He represented the nation at UEFA Euro 2020, helping Italy win the tournament and winning the Player of the Tournament award himself.
  • Silvio Piola
    36

    Silvio Piola

    Dec. at 83 (1913-1996)
    56 votes
    Silvio Piola (29 September 1913 – 4 October 1996) was an Italian footballer from Robbio Lomellina, province of Pavia who played as a striker. He is known as a highly prominent figure in the history of Italian football due to several records he set, and he is regarded as one of the greatest strikers of his generation, as well as one of the best Italian players of all time. Piola won the 1938 FIFA World Cup with Italy, scoring two goals in the final, ending the tournament as the second best player and the second highest scorer.Piola is third in the all-time goalscoring records of the Italian national team. He is also the highest goalscorer in Italian first league history, with 290 goals (274 in Serie A and 16 in Divisione Nazionale), and also in Serie A history. He played 566 Serie A games, putting him fourth on the all-time list for appearances in Italy's top flight. Piola is the only player to have the honour of being the all-time Serie A top scorer of three different teams (Pro Vercelli, Lazio and Novara) Piola is also the highest scoring Italian player in all competitions, with 364 goals (391 if his goals in the Divisione Nazionale and for the Italy B team are also included).After his death a pair of Italian stadiums were renamed after him: one in Novara in 1997 and another in Vercelli in 1998. In 2011, he was posthumously inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.
  • Giampiero Boniperti
    37

    Giampiero Boniperti

    Age: 95
    29 votes
    Giampiero Boniperti (Italian pronunciation: [dʒamˈpjɛːro boniˈpɛrti]; born 4 July 1928) is an Italian former football player who played his entire 15 season career at Juventus between 1946 and 1961, winning five Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia titles. He also played for the Italian national football team at international level, and took part at the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cup finals, as well as the 1952 Summer Olympics with Italy. After retirement from professional football, Boniperti has been a chairman of Juventus and a deputy to the European Parliament. A forward, Boniperti is regarded as one of Italy's and Juventus's greatest ever players,{{by whom}} and is considered by some{{by whom}} to be Italy's greatest player of all time; with 182 goals in all competitions, Boniperti was the highest goalscorer in Juventus history for more than 40 years, until his record was bested by Alessandro Del Piero on 10 January 2006. Del Piero also broke his club record of 443 Serie A appearances on 14 February 2010, when he played his 444th Serie A game in a 3–2 win against Genoa; with 443 Serie A appearances for Juventus, Boniperti is currently third in the club's rankings, behind only Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon. Boniperti also held the record for most minutes played in Serie A by a Juventus player (39,680), until his record was surpassed by Buffon on 19 March 2017, in the 66th minute of a 1–0 away win over Sampdoria. Boniperti is the eleventh-highest goalscorer of all-time in Serie A. In March 2004, he was named by Pelé as one of the world's top 125 greatest living footballers.
  • Marco Materazzi
    38

    Marco Materazzi

    Age: 50
    55 votes
    Marco Materazzi (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmarko mateˈrattsi]; born 19 August 1973) is an Italian former professional footballer and manager. Early in his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and with Everton in the Premier League. He spent two periods with Perugia (1995–98 and 1999–2001) and signed for Internazionale in 2001 for €10 million. At club level, he won a number of major honors with Inter, including five Serie A league titles in a row from 2006 to 2010, one UEFA Champions League, one FIFA Club World Cup, four Coppa Italia titles, and the Supercoppa Italiana four times.Materazzi earned 41 caps for Italy from his debut in 2001 until 2008, playing in two World Cups and two European Championships. He was one of the key players in the 2006 FIFA World Cup Final against France, as he scored Italy's goal and later, in extra time, he received a headbutt from Zinedine Zidane, who was punished with a red card. Italy then went on to win the World Cup in a penalty shoot-out, during which Materazzi scored again. A controversial and provocative figure in football, he was known for his very physical and aggressive style of play as a defender, as well as his tight marking and strong, harsh tackling, which led him to receive more than 60 yellow cards and 25 red cards throughout his playing career. Due to his temper and his commitment to rash, heavy challenges, he has been involved in several altercations with other players during matches, drawing comparisons with retired defender Pasquale Bruno. The Times placed Materazzi at number 45 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.
  • Marco Verratti
    39

    Marco Verratti

    Age: 31
    88 votes
    Marco Verratti (born 5 November 1992) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for French Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Italy national team.A creative, hard-working, and technically gifted playmaker, Verratti began his career with Italian club Pescara in 2008, where he soon rose to prominence as one of the best young midfielders in Europe, helping the team to win the 2011–12 Serie B title, and winning the 2012 Bravo Award. His playing style drew comparisons with Andrea Pirlo, due to his passing ability, vision, and control, as well as his similar transition from the role of trequartista to that of a regista. In July 2012, he transferred to French side Paris Saint-Germain, where he won four consecutive Ligue 1 titles from 2012 to 2016, among other domestic and individual trophies.At international level, Verratti represented the Italy at senior level, he made his Italy debut in 2012, and represented his country at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
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  • Nicolò Barella
    40

    Nicolò Barella

    Age: 27
    55 votes
    Nicolò Barella (born 7 February 1997) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Inter Milan and the Italy national team.
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  • Pietro Vierchowod
    41

    Pietro Vierchowod

    Age: 65
    21 votes
    Pietro Vierchowod (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjɛːtro ˈvjɛrkovud]; born 6 April 1959) is an Italian former footballer who played as a defender, and a current manager. He also represented the Italian national side during his career, and was most notably a member of the Italian squad that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Italian centre-backs of all-time, and one of the best of his generation, during his playing career he was nicknamed lo Zar ("the Tsar") because of his pace, defensive ability, physicality, tenacious playing style, and Ukrainian descent; he was the son of a Ukrainian Red Army soldier from Starobilsk.
  • Demetrio Albertini
    42

    Demetrio Albertini

    Age: 52
    42 votes
    Demetrio Albertini (Italian pronunciation: [deˈmɛːtrjo alberˈtiːni]; born 23 August 1971) is the sporting director of Parma and a former professional Italian football midfielder and vice-president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). He is widely considered as one of the legends of the A.C. Milan side of the 90s and a fundamental player for the Italian national team of the same period. He spent most of his career with Milan of the Italian Serie A, winning many trophies, including five Serie A titles and two UEFA Champions League titles with the club. He also played his final season for FC Barcelona, winning the Spanish League before retiring that year. A vital member of the Italian national team, Albertini was part of the squads that competed at the World Cups of 1994 and 1998, as well as the 1996 and 2000 European Championships, reaching the finals of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000.
  • Christian Vieri
    43

    Christian Vieri

    Age: 50
    88 votes
    Christian "Bobo" Vieri (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkristjam ˈbɔːbo ˈvjɛːri]; born 12 July 1973) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre forward. Vieri was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations. A prolific goalscorer, for a number of years, he was regarded as one of the best strikers in Europe, leading to him becoming the world's most expensive player in 1999 when Inter Milan paid Lazio £32 million (€43 million) for his services. Something of a footballing nomad, Vieri played for no fewer than 12 clubs throughout his career, mainly in Italy, but also in Spain and France. He started his career with Torino in 1991, but his most notable and successful spells were those at Juventus, Atlético Madrid, Lazio and Inter, clubs with which he won several honours. As well as picking up several winners medals during his career, Vieri also claimed many individual awards including the Pichichi Trophy and Capocannoniere awards for the league's top scorer in Spain and Italy respectively, and the Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year twice. At international level, Vieri scored 23 goals in 49 appearances for Italy between 1997 and 2005, and is the joint ninth-highest goalscorer for his national team, alongside Francesco Graziani. He is also Italy's highest ever goalscorer in the FIFA World Cup, along with Roberto Baggio and Paolo Rossi, with a combined nine goals from nine matches at the 1998 and 2002 editions of the tournament; he also took part at Euro 2004.
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  • Angelo Schiavio
    44

    Angelo Schiavio

    Dec. at 84 (1905-1990)
    24 votes
    Angelo Schiavio (15 October 1905 – 17 April 1990) was an Italian footballer who played as a forward. Schiavio spent his entire career with Bologna, the club of the city where he was born and died; he won four league titles with the club, and is the team's all-time highest goalscorer. He won the 1934 FIFA World Cup with Italy, finishing as the tournament's second highest goalscorer; he also won a bronze medal with Italy at the 1928 Summer Olympics. Following his retirement, he later also managed both Bologna and the Italian national side. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest strikers, he was 178 cm tall and weighed 69 kg; he made his name as a quick and powerful centre-forward, with good technique, who was an accurate finisher with both feet, and who often used physical force to score goals. In 2012, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame. Schiavo, who died in April 1990 at the age of 84, was also the last surviving player from Italy's 1934 World Cup winning team.
  • Giacomo Bulgarelli
    45

    Giacomo Bulgarelli

    Dec. at 68 (1940-2009)
    19 votes
    Giacomo Bulgarelli (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒaːkomo bulɡaˈrɛlli]; 24 October 1940 – 12 February 2009) was an Italian international footballer who played as a midfielder. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest ever midfielders, Bulgarelli spent his entire club career with Italian side Bologna, where he also served as the team's captain; an important figure with the club, he is the team's record all-time appearance holder, and won the Serie A title with the Bolognese side in 1964, among other trophies. Following his retirement, he had a brief spell in America with the Hartford Bicentennials in 1975, and later also had a successful career as football commentator in the 90s. At international level, Bulgarelli represented Italy at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, where the team finished in fourth place, and in two FIFA World Cups; he made his senior international debut at the 1962 edition of the tournament, and marked the occasion with two goals, becoming Italy's youngest ever World Cup goalscorer. He was also a member of the Italian side that won UEFA Euro 1968.
  • Enrico Albertosi
    46

    Enrico Albertosi

    Age: 84
    36 votes
    Enrico "Ricky" Albertosi (Italian pronunciation: [enˈriːko ˈriːki alberˈtoːzi; -oːsi]; born 2 November 1939) is an Italian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest ever goalkeepers, he had a successful club career, winning titles with Fiorentina, Cagliari, and Milan, before retiring with Elpidiense. He also played for the Italian national team in the 1966 World Cup and the 1970 World Cup, in which Italy reached the final, as well as being a member of the Italy teams that took part in the 1962 and 1974 World Cups. Albertosi was also included in the Italy squad that won the 1968 European Championship.
  • Giuseppe Signori
    47

    Giuseppe Signori

    Age: 56
    36 votes
    Giuseppe "Beppe" Signori (Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe siɲˈɲoːri]; born 17 February 1968) is a retired Italian footballer, who played as a forward. He played for several clubs in Italy throughout his career, and also had spells in Greece and Hungary with Iraklis Thessaloniki and MFC Sopron respectively. Signori won the Serie A top-scorer award three times and is one of the top ten scorers in Serie A history, although he never received a winners medal in competitive football. At international level, Signori represented Italy 28 times between 1992 and 1995, scoring 7 goals, and took part at the 1994 World Cup, where they reached the final.
  • Francesco Toldo
    48

    Francesco Toldo

    Age: 52
    35 votes
    Francesco Toldo (Italian pronunciation: [franˈtʃesko ˈtɔldo]; born 2 December 1971) is an Italian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is regarded by pundits as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation.In a professional career which spanned two full decades, he mainly represented Fiorentina and Internazionale (eight and nine seasons respectively), winning a total of 15 trophies combined; in his last five years, however, he was solely a backup for the Nerazzurri. For the Italy national team, Toldo appeared in five international competitions, being a starter in UEFA Euro 2000, where he helped Italy reach the final.
  • Roberto Bettega
    49

    Roberto Bettega

    Age: 73
    32 votes
    Roberto Bettega (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˈbɛtteɡa]; born 27 December 1950) is an Italian former footballer who played as a forward. A prolific and athletic striker, Bettega is mostly remembered for his successful time at his hometown club Juventus, where he won several titles and established himself as one of Italy's greatest ever players due to his strength, skill, goalscoring ability, and creativity. He was nicknamed La penna bianca ("White Feather") due to his appearance,[1] and Bobby Gol! due to his eye for goal.At international level, he represented Italy at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, and at the 1980 European Championships, helping his team to fourth-place finishes on both occasions; he was unable to take part at the 1982 World Cup, which Italy won, due to injury.In December 2009, Bettega was officially appointed deputy director-general of Juventus. His role was to act as an intermediate between the players and coaching staff and the upper echelons of the club, as well as taking an active involvement in all of the Old Lady's transfer dealings. Bettega left the role a short time later in 2010 after the appointment of Luigi Del Neri as manager.
  • Giancarlo Antognoni
    50

    Giancarlo Antognoni

    Age: 70
    33 votes
    Giancarlo Antognoni, (Italian pronunciation: [dʒaŋˈkarlo antoɲˈɲoːni]; born 1 April 1954 in Marsciano) is a former Italian footballer, who played as a midfielder. A skilful and creative offensive playmaker, regarded as one the best Italian players of all time in his position, he played most of his club career with Fiorentina, where he won the Coppa Italia and the Anglo-Italian League Cup in 1975. At international level, he won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team, and he also represented his country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, and at the 1980 UEFA European Championship, finishing in fourth place on both occasions. On 11 October 2010, he was awarded the "Legends of football" Golden Foot award.
  • Carlo Ancelotti
    51

    Carlo Ancelotti

    Age: 64
    42 votes
    Carlo Ancelotti OSI (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkarlo antʃeˈlɔtti]; born 10 June 1959) is an Italian former professional footballer and current football manager of Napoli. Ancelotti is one of only three managers to have won the UEFA Champions League three times (twice with Milan and once with Real Madrid), and one of only two to have managed teams in four finals. He has won the FIFA Club World Cup twice, managing Milan and Real Madrid. Ancelotti is also one of seven people to have won the European Cup or Champions League as both a player and a manager. He is regarded as one of the best and most successful managers of all time.Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and began his career with Italian club Parma, helping the club to Serie B promotion in 1979. He moved to Roma the following season, where he won a Serie A title and four Coppa Italia titles, and also played for the late 1980s Milan team, with which he won two league titles and two European Cups, among other titles. At international level he played for the Italian national team on 26 occasions, scoring once, and appeared in two FIFA World Cups, finishing in third-place in the 1990 edition of the tournament, as well as UEFA Euro 1988, where he helped his nation to reach the semi-finals. As a manager, he has worked for Reggiana, Parma, Juventus, Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, and has won domestic titles in Italy, England, France, and Germany.
  • Ciro Ferrara
    52

    Ciro Ferrara

    Age: 57
    25 votes
    Ciro Ferrara (Italian pronunciation: [ˈtʃiːro ferˈraːra]; born 11 February 1967) is an Italian former footballer and manager. His most recent position was as manager of Wuhan Zall. He had also previously coached Juventus and the Italy national under-21 team. As an assistant coach to Marcello Lippi, he won the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy senior team. Ferrara spent his playing career as a defender, initially at Napoli and later on at Juventus, winning seven total Serie A titles as well as other domestic and international trophies. At international level, he represented Italy at the 1988 Summer Olympics, at two UEFA European Championships, in 1988 and 2000, and at the 1990 World Cup.
  • Antonio Cabrini
    53

    Antonio Cabrini

    Age: 66
    25 votes
    Antonio Cabrini (Italian pronunciation: [anˈtɔːnjo kaˈbriːni]; born 8 October 1957) is an Italian professional football manager and a former player. He has played left-back, mainly with Juventus. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team. Cabrini was nicknamed Bell'Antonio ("beautiful Antonio"), because of his popularity as a charismatic and good-looking football player. On the field, he made a name for himself as one of Italy's greatest defenders ever, and is remembered in particular for forming one of the most formidable defensive units of all time with Italy and Juventus, alongside goalkeeper Dino Zoff, as well as defenders Claudio Gentile, and Gaetano Scirea. Cabrini won the Best Young Player Award at the 1978 World Cup, after helping Italy managed a fourth-place finish, and also represented Italy at Euro 1980, once again finishing in fourth place. He is one of the few players to have won all UEFA Club competitions, an achievement he managed with Juventus.
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  • Eraldo Monzeglio
    54

    Eraldo Monzeglio

    Dec. at 75 (1906-1981)
    20 votes
    Eraldo Monzeglio (Italian pronunciation: [eˈraldo monˈdzeʎʎo]; 5 June 1906 – 3 November 1981) was an Italian association football coach and player, who played as a defender, in the position of full-back. Monzeglio had a highly successful career as a footballer, although he also later attracted controversy due to his close relationship with the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. At club level, he played for Casale, Bologna, and Roma, winning the Serie A title and two editions of the Mitropa Cup with Bologna. At international level, he also had success representing the Italy national football team, and was a member of the Italian teams that won consecutive FIFA World Cup titles in 1934 and 1938, being named to the tournament's All-star Team in 1934; he also won two editions of the Central European International Cup with Italy. Along with Giuseppe Meazza and Giovanni Ferrari, he is one of only three Italian players to have won two World Cups. Following his retirement as a player, he worked as a coach for Italian clubs Como, Pro Sesto, Napoli, Sampdoria, and Juventus, as well as Swiss club Chiasso. He was posthumously inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
  • Alessandro Altobelli
    55

    Alessandro Altobelli

    Age: 68
    27 votes
    Alessandro Altobelli (Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro altoˈbɛlli]; born 28 November 1955 in Sonnino, Latina) is a former professional Italian footballer, who played as a forward, and who won the 1982 World Cup with Italy. Nicknamed Spillo ("Needle") for his slender build, Altobelli was a prolific goalscorer, and he became one of the greatest and most effective Italian strikers of the late 1970s and 1980s. Altobelli is currently the all-time top scorer in the Coppa Italia, with 56 goals in 93 appearances, and the ninth-highest scoring Italian player in all competitions, with almost 300 career goals.
  • Giovanni Ferrari
    56

    Giovanni Ferrari

    Dec. at 74 (1907-1982)
    24 votes
    Giovanni Ferrari (Italian pronunciation: [dʒoˈvanni ferˈraːri]; 6 December 1907 – 2 December 1982) was an Italian footballer who played as a midfielder and as an inside forward on the left. He is regarded as one of the best players of his generation, one of Italy's best ever players, and as one of the greatest players of all time, having won the Serie A a record 8 times, as well as two consecutive FIFA World Cup titles (in 1934 and 1938) with the Italy national football team. Along with Giuseppe Meazza and Eraldo Monzeglio, he is one of only three Italian players to have won two World Cups.A creative, advanced midfield playmaker, Ferrari was a strong, physically fit, hardworking, versatile, and well-rounded footballer, as well as being a generous team player. Due to his technical ability, vision, tactical intelligence, and passing ability, he excelled at building attacking plays and creating chances for teammates, although he was also capable of scoring himself due to his powerful and accurate shot.
  • Roberto Mancini
    57

    Roberto Mancini

    Age: 59
    66 votes
    Roberto Mancini (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto manˈtʃiːni]; born 27 November 1964) is an Italian football manager and former player who is the manager of the Italy national team. As a player, Mancini operated as a deep-lying forward, and was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped the team win the Serie A league title, four Coppa Italia titles, and the European Cup Winners' Cup. He was capped 36 times for Italy, taking part at UEFA Euro 1988 and the 1990 FIFA World Cup, achieving semi-final finishes in both tournaments. In 1997, after 15 years at Sampdoria, Mancini left the club to join Lazio, where he won a further Scudetto, as well as the Cup Winners' Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and two more Coppa Italia titles. As a player, Mancini would often give team talks at half-time. Towards the end of his playing career he became an assistant to Sven-Göran Eriksson at Lazio. His first manager role was at a cash-stricken Fiorentina at only 35 years old. He won a Coppa Italia there, but left with the team facing bankruptcy. Months later he took over as manager at Lazio, where again he inherited financial constraints and was forced to lose a number of key players. With limited resources during his two-season tenure, he guided the club to another Coppa Italia. In 2004, Mancini was given the chance to manage a major club with more resources when he was offered the manager's job at Inter. During his first tenure at Inter, the club won three consecutive Serie A titles, an Inter club record, and an Italian record 17 consecutive league game victories stretching nearly half a season; Mancini became Inter's most successful manager in 30 years. Despite his domestic success, many pundits saw the repeated failure to win the coveted Champions League as the main reason for his dismissal in 2008. After being out of football for over a year, Mancini was appointed Manchester City manager in December 2009. Under his stewardship, he instilled a winning culture at the club, taking Manchester City from a mid-table club to the top level of English football, combining defensive solidity with attacking flair. In the 2010–11 season, his first full season at Manchester City, Mancini guided the club to Champions League football and the FA Cup, the club's first major trophy in 35 years. In the 2011–12 season, Mancini guided Manchester City to the club's first league title in 44 years in an enthralling last day of the season, winning 3–2, with two goals in injury time in what was called "the best match of the best last day of the season in English football history." Under Mancini, City progressed to the 2013 FA Cup Final, but were defeated by the soon-to-be relegated Wigan Athletic 1–0. Mancini was sacked two days later, before took over at Turkish club Galatasaray in September 2013, winning the Turkish Cup in his only season at the club. Regarded as a cup specialist, Mancini has reached at least a semi-final of a major national cup competition in every season he has been a manager, from 2002 to 2013. He holds a number of records, including most consecutive Coppa Italia finals from 2004 to 2008, with Lazio once in 2004 and with Inter in the following four seasons.
  • Walter Zenga
    58

    Walter Zenga

    Age: 64
    35 votes
    Walter Zenga (Italian pronunciation: [ˈvalter ˈdzeŋɡa]; born 28 April 1960) is a retired Italian footballer and current football manager of Venezia. He was a long-time goalkeeper for Internazionale and the Italian national team. He also holds Romanian citizenship.During his playing career, Zenga was part of the Italian squad that finished fourth at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, United States and was starting goalkeeper for the Azzurri team that finished third in the 1990 FIFA World Cup tournament held in Italy, keeping a World Cup record unbeaten streak. A three-time winner of the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award, Zenga is regarded by pundits as one of the best goalkeepers of all time, and in 2013 was voted the eighth best goalkeeper of the past quarter-century by IFFHS. In 2000, he also placed 20th in the World Keeper of the Century Elections by the same organisation.After retiring as a player, Zenga briefly became an actor in an Italian soap opera and also a pundit on Italian TV. He has since became a well travelled head coach and has managed clubs in USA, Italy, Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and England.
  • Luigi Di Biagio
    59

    Luigi Di Biagio

    Age: 53
    26 votes
    Luigi Di Biagio (Italian pronunciation: [luˈiːdʒi di ˈbjaːdʒo]; born 3 June 1971) is an Italian football manager and former footballer, who last coached the Italy U-21 team. A former defensive midfielder, Di Biagio last played for Ascoli Calcio 1898 in 2007, and previously also played for several other Italian clubs throughout his career, including Roma and Internazionale, in particular. At international level, he also played 31 times for the Italian national side between 1998 and 2002, scoring 2 goals, representing his country at the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, as well as at Euro 2000, where Italy reached the final.
  • Claudio Gentile
    60

    Claudio Gentile

    Age: 70
    39 votes
    Claudio Gentile (Italian pronunciation: [ˈklaudjo dʒenˈtiːle]; born 27 September 1953 in Tripoli, Libya) is an Italian association football manager and former defender of the 1970s and 1980s. Gentile appeared for Italy in two World Cup tournaments, and played for the winning Italian team in the 1982 final. His club career was notably spent with Juventus for whom he made almost 300 league appearances, winning six national titles and two major European trophies.