In a recent fan survey, AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini has been voted the greatest defender in football history.
Maldini spent nearly 25 years with the Serie A giants, winning everything there is to win at club level, including seven Serie A crowns and five Champions Leagues.
Throughout three decades, the sweeper was capable of playing both left-back and central defense.
After the 2002 World Cup, he retired from international service, and if he had stayed another four years, he would have added a World Cup winner's medal to his trophy cabinet as well.Maldini's supporters on thetoptens.com believe he is deserving of the top slot, but he faced hard competition.
After being a key part of Manchester United's success in the mid-2000s, Nemanja Vidic is ranked second, while Barcelona legend Carles Puyol is comparable to Maldini in that he is a one-club man.
The top five is completed by John Terry and Franz Beckenbauer, who are joined by Sergio Ramos.
The Paris Saint-Germain superstar spent 16 years with Real Madrid, earning 22 major titles during his time with Los Blancos.
Since relocating to France this summer, he hasn't quite reached those heights, but he is still the highest-ranked active player on the list.Check out the top 25 below: 25. Lilian Thurman 24. Ashley Cole 23. Djalma Santos 22. Denis Irwin 21. Dani Alves 20. Cafu Image Credit: Alamy 19. Gary Neville 18. Vincent Kompany 17. Jaap Stam 16. Rafael Marquez 15. Fabio Cannavaro Image Credit: Alamy 14. Alessandro Nesta 13. Thiago Silva 12. Franco Baresi 11. Rio Ferdinand 10. Gerard Pique Image Credit: Alamy 9. Philipp Lahm 8. Roberto Carlos 7. Bobby Moore 6. Sergio Ramos 5. Franz BeckenbauerJohn Terry is number four.
Carles Puyol is number three on the list.
Nemanja Vidic is number two on the list.
Paolo Maldini, No. 1
To say the least, there are a few odd calls in here.
Gary Neville is unquestionably a legend, yet he's managed to surpass Dani Alves.
With 46 senior trophies across four divisions and the Brazil national team, the Barcelona full-back is the most decorated footballer in history.
Franco Baresi also fails to crack the top ten, which is a travesty of the sport. Image Credit: Alamy
Baresi played for AC Milan for 20 years and helped Italy win the World Cup in 1984.
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