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Over the course of 25 years with AC Milan, Maldini represented the Italian club with class and won just about everything there was to win. The former defender lifted seven Serie A titles and four Champions League trophies among a plethora of silverware. He competed against the best sides in the world and, as a result, he faced off against the greatest talent the planet had to offer.
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The best left-backs in football history have been ranked in order – Ashley Cole, Marcelo and Paolo Maldini all feature.
With that being said, Maldini knows a thing or two about quality footballers and his opinions on the sport hold a lot of weight. During a documentary about Ronaldo Nazario, via quotes shared by All Football, the Milan legend named the three greatest players he ever saw during his career. Let’s take a look at who he went for.
Maldini’s Three Greatest Players Ever
Ronaldo Nazario
Considering he was discussing the topic of the greatest players he ever saw during a documentary on Ronaldo, it’s only fitting that the Brazilian was one of the stars Maldini named. The forward was simply dynamite on the football pitch and no matter where he went, he find scoring goals almost as natural as breathing oxygen.
Injuries may have slowed him down towards the end of his career, but throughout the majority of his time on the football pitch, Ronaldo dominated. He combination of blistering speed and incredible strength made him a nightmare for defenders to deal with and Maldini recognised that.
| Ronaldo vs Maldini | |
|---|---|
| Games | 9 |
| Wins | 3 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Defeats | 3 |
| Goals | 4 |
Diego Maradona
The next player that Maldini named was Diego Maradona. The Argentine was football brilliance and with a ball at his feet, it seemed as though he was capable of doing just about anything. He may be controversial with England fans, but there aren’t many in the world who don’t recognise how incredible the former Napoli man was when he was on the pitch.
The late, great icon was responsible for some of the greatest feats in football history, including his sublime solo goal against the Three Lions.
| Maradona vs Maldini | |
|---|---|
| Games | 14 |
| Wins | 5 |
| Draws | 4 |
| Defeats | 5 |
| Goals | 6 |
Lionel Messi
The last player that Maldini named is one that he never actually faced on a football pitch, but he is still well aware of how great Lionel Messi has been over the years. Considered the greatest footballer of all time, the former Barcelona man has been terrorising defenders and shocking spectators for nearly 20 years now and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down.
Whether it was with Barcelona, Argentina, Paris Saint-Germain or now Inter Miami, Messi has regularly been head and shoulders above anyone else whenever he steps onto a football pitch. His brilliance will be remembered for a very long time and Maldini is certainly not alone in his opinion of the star.
