Former AC Milan and Juventus star Andrea Pirlo has revealed his five picks for the greatest footballers in history. The playmaker earned a reputation as one of the greatest midfielders to ever grace the game thanks to his incredible vision and dead-ball ability.
The World Cup winner was also fortunate enough to play alongside some of the best of his generation, lining up with players like Ronaldo Nazario and Gianluigi Buffon. However, speaking to GIVEMESPORT on behalf of Boomerang, Pirlo named the five players he believes stand above all others to have ever laced up a pair of boots.
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The Italian also named two other Ballon d'Or winners
Naming his top five players, Pirlo, perhaps most surprisingly, included Milan and Italian legend Paolo Maldini ahead of the likes of Johan Cruyff and Zinedine Zidane. The former Juventus manager also named Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona.
"Naming the greatest footballers of all time is always a challenging task, as the sport has seen so many legends. However, if I had to choose, Diego Maradona, with his extraordinary skill and vision, is undoubtedly one of them. Then, of course, there’s [Cristiano] Ronaldo. Lionel Messi is another name that comes to mind.
"Paolo Maldini, my former teammate and a true gentleman of the game, is someone I greatly admire for his leadership and consistency. And, of course, Pele, the king of football."
Maldini remains one of, if not the greatest defenders to ever play the game, winning the Champions League title five times across three different decades, making him the only player in history to do so.
As for the others mentioned, the quartet are widely considered to be the top four players in football history. Messi sits at the top of the tree when it comes to Ballon d'Or triumphs, winning eight during his illustrious career. Second to the Argentine is Cristiano Ronaldo, who has five golden balls to his name and is also the greatest goalscorer in the sports history as he chases down the never before seen 1000 goals.
As for Pele and Maradona, the pair were never eligible to win the Ballon d'Or but were undoubtedly the greatest players of their respective generations. Both led their countries to World Cup glory, with Pele being part of what is argued as the greatest international team in football history.
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All statistics courtesy of Transfermarkt - accurate as of 01/06/2025.