Viva Italia: The best Italian football players of all time

Italy and football always have been synonymous. The south-European country has always had world-class players, performing at top level in the Serie A and the best European leagues. These are the best football players Italy has ever produced.

With dribbling skills like no other, Roberto Baggio is without a doubt one of Italy's all-time greatest players, if not the greatest. Baggio spent his entire career in Italy, crowning himself Serie A champions with Juventus and AC Milan.

Gianluigi Buffon is possibly the best Italian goalkeeper ever. The Juventus legend was instrumental for club and country, winning the 2006 FIFA World Cup with Italy. He is also the country's most capped player with 176 appearances.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

A 1982 World Cup hero, Paolo Rossi is undoubtedly an Italian football great.

Having scored 209 goals for Juventus, Alessandro Del Piero is still the all-time top goalscorer of the Old Lady. A feat which earns him a spot in this list.

Having played at top level for over 20 years, Paolo Maldini is an icon of AC Milan and Italy.

Defending alongside Maldini for many of those years, Alessandro Nesta earned himself an impressive trophy cabinet, including a World Cup, three Italian league titles and two Champions Leagues.

A World Cup and Euro's winner, Dino Zoff collected 112 caps for Italy, while also excelling at Juventus. With the Old Lady, he won six league titles.

A midfielder with a unique touch, Andrea Pirlo is one of the most gracious players to have ever played the game. Pirlo proved himself at AC Milan and Juventus, and was also key in Italy's 2006 World Cup win.

Francesco Totti is an AS Roma legend, having played for no other club in his career. The Italian scored more than 300 goals for the Giallorossi, better than anyone else in the club's history.

From an AS Roma legend, we go to an AC Milan icon. Franco Baresi celebrated countless successes at San Siro, including six league titles and one Champions League. With Italy, Baresi triumphed at the 1982 World Cup.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

A name that is engraved in the hearts of many Chelsea fans. Gianfranco Zola impressed with his technical and dribbling skills, terrifying many a defender in the Premier League.

A midfielder of exceptional quality in his prime, Gianni Rivera was one of the greats of the 60s and 70s. The playmaker won the 1969 Ballon d'Or, a year in which he also took home his second European Cup.

A rock in defence, Fabio Cannavaro captained Italy to World Cup success in 2006, which earned him the Ballon d'Or that same year.

Giuseppe Meazza is a true legend of Internazionale. The striker scored 284 goals for the club in the first part of the 20th century, a goal tally that has not been exceeded ever since.

Considered one of the best Italian strikers of all time, Luigi Rivera made a name for himself at US Cagliari. The centre-forward scored 35 goals for Italy, one of which in the 1968 UEFA Euro's final.

Another Internazionale great, Sandro Mazzola (on the left half of the picture) helped the club win two European Cups and four league titles. Mazzola was also a key figure for Italy, making 70 appearances for his country (22 goals).

Some consider Giampiero Boniperti one of Juventus's all-time best players. The striker served the Old Lady for 15 years, scoring 179 goals and winning five league titles.

An exceptional defender in his time, Gaetano Scirea lifted seven Scuddetos and one European Cup with Juventus, and the 1982 World Cup with Italy. Scirea died shortly after retiring, aged 36.

Giacinto Facchetti spent his entire career at Internazionale, where he was part of a very successful spell in the club's history. Facchettili lifted two European Cups and four league titles with the Nerrazurri, while also excelling at the 1968 Euro's with 'La squadra azzurra'.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Silvio Piola was widely considered one of the best attackers of his generation, crowning himself all-time Serie A top scorer with 274 goals, a record still standing today.