Top 10 greatest players of all time: Juventus FC

Despite falling down the pecking order in recent times, Juventus are still regarded as the kings of Italy, boasting a record number of Serie A, Coppa Italia, and Supercoppa Italiana titles—a trophy-laden history that dates all the way back to 1897.

Because of this, Juve have boasted some of Italy’s greatest-ever players, while also tempting stars from all over the world travel to the northwest of the country to don their fabled black-and-white jersey.

In this article, we present to you our top 10 picks of the greatest ever Juventus players, and to do so, we’ve taken a very specific set of criteria into account, which are as follows:

• Impact
• Longevity
• Statistics
• Trophies

#10 Roberto Baggio

For a man who is revered and loved by so many in Italy, the fact that one of his most famous moments remains that penalty miss in the 1994 World Cup final hardly does him any justice. That said, for someone still adored by fans of every club he played for, nothing can detract from the genius of Roberto Baggio.

The 1993 Ballon d’Or winner donned the shirts of AC Milan, Inter Milan, and Fiorentina over the course of a brilliant career, but it’s at Juve he is revered the most. During his five-year spell with The Old Lady, Baggio scored 115 goals in 200 appearances across all competitions, helping a sub-par Juve side grow and win the 1993 UEFA Cup as well as the 1995 Serie A title. 

#9 Zinedine Zidane

While people associate the former French captain more with Real Madrid, Zinedine Zidane is also a legendary figure at Juventus. It was, in fact, his performances with the Bianconeri that ultimately enticed Los Blancos to break the world transfer record for his services in 2001.

Another Ballon d’Or winner, Zidane swiftly endeared himself to the Italian crowds with his lung-busting runs, gliding dribbles, and powerful strikes during his stay in Italy. His mastery on the pitch saw him claim two Scudetti, one Italian Super Cup, one European Super Cup, and one Intercontinental Cup with Juve.

#8 Dino Zoff

Juve have had some pretty remarkable goalkeepers over the years, with Dino Zoff among one of the best to have ever stood between the sticks. He won the UEFA Cup both as a player and manager at the club, while also reaching the European Cup final twice during his playing days.

During his eleven years with Juventus, Zoff won the Serie A title six times, the Coppa Italia twice, and the UEFA Cup once. The former Italy international also finished as runner-up in the 1973 Ballon d’Or vote—a pretty incredible achievement for a goalkeeper.

#7 Pavel Nedved

When Zidane left Juve for the Spanish capital, Pavel Nedved was quickly brought in as his replacement. After a rocky start, the “Czech Fury” eventually won over the fanbase with his combination of technical brilliance and wholehearted commitment to the Juve cause.

The wide midfielder often left defenders in a haze, desperately trying to catch up to the tricky player, as his genius regularly saw him among the goals. Juve’s love for Nedved grew even further when the 2003 Ballon d’Or winner insisted on remaining at the club after they were relegated in 2006 as a result of the Calciopoli scandal.

The two-time Serie A winner still plays a key role for The Old Lady today, as their vice president.

#6 Giorgio Chiellini

A modern-day legend at the club, Giorgio Chiellini was the leader of one of the best backlines in European football. With 561 appearances to his name across 17 seasons, Chiellini rightly enjoys hero status in Turin. 

Having inspired Juve to a massive nine Scudetti in a row between 2012 and 2020, the no-nonsense centre-back is one of the most respected figures in football in Italy. By the time he left the club in 2022, the towering defender had 19 winner’s medals to his name.

#5 Gaetano Scirea

Scirea’s free transfer to Juve from Atalanta in 1974 is considered one of the greatest bargains in Italian football history to this day. He spent 14 glorious years in Turin, made more than 500 appearances, and held the ridiculous record of never getting sent off. 

Having captained of some of the greatest Juve sides ever seen, Scirea won all there was to win in club football back then, namely seven Scudetti, two Coppe Italie, one UEFA Cup, one Cup Winners’ Cup, one European Cup, one European Super Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup.

Tragically, the Juve legend passed away in 1989 at just 36 years of age in a car accident.

#4 Gianluigi Buffon

Arguably the greatest goalkeeper of all time, Gianluigi Buffon made a total of 685 appearances for Juventus across two spells and won a club-record 21 trophies in that time.

What’s perhaps more remarkable than Buffon’s number of appearances and trophies is how consistently brilliant he was from the moment he arrived in Turin for a then-record fee in 2001 before his departure 20 years later.

With due respect to the legendary Dino Zoff, there is no looking past Buffon as Juve’s greatest-ever keeper. He was the first goalkeeper to win the Serie A Footballer of the Year award and was named the league’s Goalkeeper of the Year a record twelve times.  

Also read: Top 10 greatest players of all time: FC Barcelona

#3 Michel Platini

Michel Platini thrilled Juve fans for five seasons between 1982 and 1987, during which period he was considered the best player on the planet. A quick, versatile, elegant, and intelligent play-maker with a unique ability to read the game, Platini was renowned in particular for his technical ability, creativity, and vision despite his lack of notable athletic attributes. 

Winning the Ballon d’Or in three consecutive years between 1983 and 1985, the legendary Frenchman seemingly scored goals at will from the #10 position. As a result, a huge trophy haul inevitably followed, including two Scudetti, an Italian Cup, a Cup Winners’ Cup, a Champions Cup, a European Super Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup.

#2 Giampiero Boniperti

Before Alessandro Del Piero, there was Giampiero Boniperti. With 182 goals across all competitions, Boniperti was the highest goalscorer in Juve history for more than 40 years until his record was bested by Del Piero. 

The #10 joined the club in 1945 and instantly became their most-prized asset. A five-time league winner, Boniperti was Juve’s biggest name from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.

Apart from his performances on the pitch, Boniperti played a big role in building his club up as their honorary president for 30 years after his retirement from the game.

#1 Alessandro Del Piero

During his storied spell of almost two decades with the Bionconeri, Del Piero cemented his legacy as Juve’s greatest ever player. After beginning his career with Padova in the Serie B in 1991, he moved to Turin in 1993 and went on to play 19 seasons (11 as captain). He still holds the club records for most goals (290) and appearances (705). 

During his time at Juve, Del Piero won six Serie A titles, one Coppa Italia, four Supercoppe Italiane, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the UEFA Intertoto Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup.

The man who mastered the trequartista position was the complete package and a dream player for any manager.