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#3 Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi is easily one of the best defenders the world has ever seen. While Brazil is known for its flamboyance and attacking intellect, Italy is known for its structure and tenacity. Franco Baresi is the epitome of both.
Baresi rose through the ranks of the AC Milan youth system, excelling in each division before making his senior team debut in 1978. Despite being under the age of 20, Baresi showed exceptional game reading and sweeping capabilities, which won him a place in the starting XI next season. Milan went on to win the Serie A title, with Baresi operating at the heart of the defense.
The following year, Milan were relegated following a match-fixing scandal, but Baresi stood firm with his team. He eventually helped them to five more Serie A titles and three UEFA Champions League titles over the course of his 20-year career. His success makes him one of the most decorated defenders in the world.
Baresi won the 1982 World Cup as an unused substitute with Italy and was named in the 1990 World Cup team of the tournament after helping them to 5 clean sheets and a third-place finish.
#2 Franz Beckenbauer
German defender Franz Beckenbauer was the definition of class, decisiveness, and composure. Dubbed as 'Der Kaiser’ or ‘The Emperor,’ Beckenbauer had an unquantifiable impact on the world’s sport, changing the way the game is played.
Beckenbauer was the mastermind behind inventing the modern day sweeper role or the ‘Libero.’ His new position allowed him to showcase his versatility as a defender as well as an extremely withdrawn deep-lying playmaker. The Bayern Munich man’s penetrating runs were extremely difficult to counter, which allowed his team to bombard the flanks when an opportunity presented itself.
Beckenbauer spent the best days of his club career with Bayern Munich, winning four Bundesliga titles and three UEFA Champions Leagues over 14 seasons at the club. He was also a cornerstone for West Germany, helping the team to the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup. Beckenbauer is also the only defender to win two Ballons d’Or (1972, 1976). There's little doubt that he's among the very best defenders to have graced the sport.
#1 Paolo Maldini
It's quite literally impossible to talk about defenders and not mention the man who set an incredibly high bar for defenders that followed.
The man who oozed class on and off the pitch — Paolo Maldini — is arguably the best defender the world has ever seen. His game reading, composure and leadership were matched by none. Milan truly could not have asked for a better navigator to lead them out of the dark phase of the early 80’s.
Maldini was a childhood AC Milan fan and rose through the club’s youth academy to make his senior team debut in 1985, at the age of 16. He grew in stature with every passing game and eventually proved to be a capable successor to club legend Franco Baresi.
Over his 25-year-career with AC Milan, Maldini won seven Serie A titles and five UEFA Champions Leagues, cementing his place as not just the greatest defender, but also the greatest player in AC Milan history. He hung up his boots in 2009, having made over 900 appearances for the Rossoneri. Maldini is still a pivotal part of AC Milan, currently serving as the club’s Technical Director.
