Football's five greatest players of the 21st century

Defender of the century: Fabio Cannavaro

Italy’s now retired World Cup winning captain just about managed to edge out fellow Italians, Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta. Coming through the Napoli youth system, Fabio Cannavaro gained recognition and received praise from his idol Diego Maradona, when Cannavaro produced a strong tackle on him as a youth and Maradona encouraged the boy to play the way he wished. Nicknamed the ‘Berlin Wall’ for his mesmerizing performances in the 2006 World Cup, Cannavaro is the only defender ever to win the FIFA World Player of the Year award. Although Maldini’s career is more glorified and Nesta is more talented than Cannavaro, Cannavaro’s tenacity and grit make him stand out. His outstanding performance against France in Berlin helped Italy lift the World Cup for the first time in 24 years and helped them get their revenge against the Les Bleus for their defeats at the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. At Parma and later at Juventus, Cannavaro formed one of the best defences of all time alongside Buffon and Frenchman Lilian Thuram. Cannavaro has been the defensive rock for all his sides, ranging from Napoli to Real Madrid. His partnership with Nesta for Italy is widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive partnerships ever and the greatest in modern football history. Although his last few years, including his decline at Real and Juventus, were not befitting of that of a player of his caliber, Cannavaro’s legacy will forever remain untarnished and is one of Italian football’s greatest icons.

Fabio Cannavaro celebrating with the World Cup trophy after defeating France in Berlin

Honorable mentions: Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Roberto Carlos, John Terry, Ricardo Carvalho, Nemanja Vidic and Cafu.