Widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time, Paolo Maldini was a symbol of AC
Milan and a true pillar of the Italian national team. He earned 126 caps for the Azzurri, third on
the all-time appearances list behind Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro with 74 of them
coming as captain.
Having played 23 matches across four FIFA World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002), he still
holds the all-time record for World Cup appearances. He finished as a World Cup runner-up in
1994 and a UEFA European Championship runner-up in 2000.
With AC Milan the only club he represented throughout his 25-year playing career he won 26
trophies, making him the most decorated player in the club's history. Nominated for the Ballon
d'Or on 13 occasions, he finished third in both 1994 and 2003, and he was inducted into the
Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
Nine years after hanging up his boots, he returned to AC Milan in 2018 as the club's Director of
Strategic Development for the sporting department. In the summer of 2019, he was appointed
Technical Director, succeeding his former Rossoneri teammate Leonardo.
In 2022, he celebrated his first trophy as an executive, helping AC Milan win the Serie A title,
before leaving the club in the summer of 2023. On 11 July 2026, FIGC President Giovanni
Malagò appointed him as the Italian Football Federation's Technical Director, also entrusting
him with the presidency of Club Italia.