10 greatest defenders of all time 

#3 Franco Baresi

Franco Baresi (cred: TheseFootballTimes)

There was a period in history when Italian defenders were simply unstoppable. Franco Baresi is an AC Milan legend. He captained the club for 15 years and is widely considered to be one of the greatest centre-backs of all time.

He only played for AC Milan in his 20-year long club career. During that time he won six Serie A titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, four Supercoppa Italiana titles, two European Super Cups and two Intercontinental Cups.

Baresi also won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team. He captained Italy in their run to the final of the 1994 FIFA World Cup final which they lost against Italy. Baresi unfortunately missed his penalty in the shootout on the historic night.

Baresi was voted Milan's Player of the Century in 1999. He was one of the most well-rounded defenders of all time. He was a powerful presence at the back and was also excellent in a technical sense. Baresi's reading of the game and anticipation were both exemplary.

In addition to all that, his passing range and vision made him an excellent distributor of the ball. This had a lot to do with elevating Baresi to the status of one of the greatest sweepers the game has ever seen.

#2 Franz Beckenbauer

Franz Beckenbauer of West Germany

Franz Beckenbauer was simply the most dominant defender of the 1970s. He was a commanding figure in defence for both club and country and the German international won the Ballon d'Or twice in his career.

His dominance, elegant playing style and leadership qualities earned him the nickname Der Kaiser meaning "The Emperor". Beckenbauer started out as a midfielder before making the transition to centre-back. He achieved greatness in his new position and is credited with inventing the role of the 'libero' or sweeper.

He was the captain of West Germany as they won the European championship in 1972. Beckenbauer then led his national team to World Cup glory two years later. He also won three back-to-back European Cups with Bayern Munich between 1974 and 1976.

Beckenbauer is one of only three men to have won the World Cup as a player and as a coach. He was the manager of West Germany when they won the World Cup in 1990. Beckenbauer was named the German Footballer of the Year four times.

#1 Paolo Maldini

AC Milan Training & Press Conference

Paolo Maldini enjoyed a 25-year long career, all of which was spent with AC Milan. He played a total of 902 games for AC Milan. He also made 126 appearances for Italy and is at the top of the list for the sheer consistency he showcased over two and a half decades.

"Il Capitano" was nothing short of a phenomenon on the pitch and inspired a generation of footballers to become defenders. He was a technically gifted player who could use both feet to the same effect. Maldini started out as a right-back but was shifted to the other flank to accommodate Mauro Tassotti at AC Milan.

In fact, Maldini could play anywhere in defence. His awareness, tactical intelligence, anticipation and extremely precise tackling made him a nightmare to go up against. He was just as menacing on the attacking side of things as well.

Maldini could whip in excellent crosses and score goals as well. He made the transition to centre-back in the latter stages of his career and was exemplary at the heart of defence. In addition to being a brickwall in defence, Maldini was also great at passing the ball out from the back.

He won seven Serie A titles, five European Cups/Champions League titles, one Coppa Italia, four UEFA Super Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup. Maldini was part of the Italian side that finished as runners-up in the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 2000 Euros.