Who Are the Best Juventus FC Soccer Players of All Time?

Top 10 Best Juventus Players of All Time

1. Alessandro Del Piero
2. Michel Platini
3. Gianluigi Buffon
4. Zinedine Zidane
5. Paolo Rossi
6. Giampiero Boniperti
7. Pavel Nedved
8. Giuseppe Furino
9. Didier Deschamps
10. Carlos Tevez

1. Alessandro Del Piero

• 316 career goals and 189 assists
• Six-time Italian League champion
• 2006 World Cup winner

The best Juventus player of all time is undoubtedly Alessandro Del Piero. Del Piero was born in Conegliano, Italy, in 1974. Originally, Del Piero grew up playing as a goalkeeper, as his mother wanted him to fill this position. However, his older brother soon convinced his mom to let Del Piero play in the outfield, marking the start of his soccer career.

Del Piero first played professionally for his local team Padova, playing for their U19 team and growing up in their academy. After being promoted to the first-team squad in 1991, Del Piero spent two years with Padova until he was sold to Juventus in 1993. The legendary second striker played with Juventus for the bulk of his career, totaling 19 years with the black and whites. Del Piero is renowned for his goal-scoring ability, as well as his set piece-taking skills. He has racked up 316 career goals and 189 assists, making him the best Juventus player of all time.

2. Michel Platini

• Scored 297 career goals as a midfielder
• 3-time Ballon d’Or winner
• Two-time Italian champion

Michel Platini was born in 1955 in Joeuf, France. The gifted attacking midfielder made his professional debut with AS Nancy, a smaller French team, helping them win a French league title in 1978. After a stint playing for another French team, Saint-Etienne, in 1979, Michel Platini made his major career move to Juventus in 1982. Serving as an attacking midfielder, Platini was a gifted playmaker and goalscorer.

Just one year after his debut season with the Italian Giants, Platini helped the black and whites make it to a European Cup final. Throughout his career, Platini scored a whopping 297 career goals and racked up an array of silverware. Platini won the Ballon d’Or three times, four-time league top goal scorer, European cup winner, and two-time Italian league champion, to name a few. Not only is Michel Platini the second best Juventus player of all time, but he is one of the best French players in history.

3. Gianluigi Buffon

• Ten-time Italian league champion
• 2006 World Cup winner
• 2005 European Footballer of the Year

Few goalkeepers make top ten lists, but Gianluigi Buffon has proven his talent over his long and successful career. Born in 1978, Gianluigi Buffon grew up in Carrara, Italy. Buffon’s mother was a champion shot put and discus thrower, and his uncles were star basketball and soccer players.

As a boy, Buffon played many different positions in soccer, using his physical ability to his advantage. In 1991, he joined Parma, playing for their youth academy as a midfielder. Shortly after, he tried filling in as a goalkeeper and quickly made himself the first-choice on the roster. In 1994, Buffon was promoted to Parma’s youth team. He stayed with the local club until, in 2001, Juventus purchased him. Buffon cemented his status as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time while at Juventus, playing for the club for 17 years.

4. Zinedine Zidane

• 1998 World Cup winner
• 1998 Ballon d’Or winner
• Two-time Italian championship winner

Zinedine Zidane was born in France in 1972. He grew up playing in the AS Cannes youth academy, developing his skills from a young age. After being promoted to the first squad in 1992, Zidane dominated the midfield and quickly made a name for himself. In 1996 Zidane made his move to Juventus, where he played for five years.

Often, Zidane is referred to as one of the greatest soccer players of all time due to his long-range scoring ability and playmaking vision. As a midfielder, Zidane commanded the center of the pitch and was often a key factor in his teams’ goalscoring. Zidane won many achievements throughout his career, including three-time best footballer of the year, winning the World Cup in 1998, and winning the Italian championship twice.

5. Paolo Rossi

• 1982 Ballon d’Or winner
• Two-time Italian Championship winner
• 1982 World Cup winner

Paolo Rossi was an Italian center forward, born in Prato in 1956. He grew up playing soccer from a young age, jumping between multiple Italian club academies until he joined Juventus’ youth team in 1972. Rossi wasn’t like most forwards and strikers. He was much smaller and frailer than many modern target men, yet his raw talent and ability made him one of the most gifted attackers of all time.

In 1975, Rossi was promoted to Juventus’ first team. Unlike other Juventus legends, Rossi was loaned out by the team for many seasons. Though, he often returned in between contracts. During his time with Juventus, Rossi won the Ballon D’or, Italian Championship, FIFA World Cup, and UEFA Club Cup. In his career, he scored 134 goals and made 29 assists. Recently, in 2020, Rossi passed away.

6. Giampiero Boniperti

• Second highest Juventus goalscorer of all time
• Five-time Italian Championship winner
• Two-time Italian Cup winner

Giampiero Boniperti was a very successful center forward that played for Juventus in their early days, making himself the sixth best Juventus player of all time. Boniperti was born in Barengo, Italy, in 1928. Unlike most professional athletes, Boniperti played his entire professional career with Juventus, spanning 15 seasons. He signed for the team in 1946 and retired in 1961 after scoring 185 goals.

Boniperti was one of the three forwards in Juventus’ ‘magical trio’ in the 1950s, alongside John Charles and Omar Sivori. Across his 15 years, Boniperti made himself the club’s second top goal scorer of all time. He was a capable attacker that could also play as a winger. Throughout his career, Boniperti helped Juventus win the Italian championship five times. He was Italy’s top goalscorer in the 1947-48 season and won the Italian Cup twice. Boniperti served as Juventus’ go-to goal scorer during a period when they did not have much success.

7. Pavel Nedved

• 2003 Ballon d’Or Winner
• Five-time Footballer of the Year
• Talented playmaker with 119 career assists

Born in Cheb, Czech Republic in 1972, Pavel Nedved began playing for his home city club Tatran Skalna when he was just five years old. He made his professional debut playing for Skoda Plzen’s U17 squad in 1989 and made it to the club’s first team in 1992. Nedved joined Juventus in 2001 and played the last eight years of his career with the Italian team. Nedved played as a center and left midfielder and was a capable goal-scorer and pass-maker.

He scored 141 goals throughout his career, as well as a whopping 119 assists. Nedved is unique as not many Eastern European soccer players achieve as much success as he did. In 2003, Nedved went on to win the Ballon d’Or. Among other awards, he was named footballer of the year five times and helped the black and whites win the Italian championship three times.

8. Giuseppe Furino

• Eight-time Italian championship winner
• Two-time Italian Cup winner
• 1976-77 UEFA Cup winner

Giuseppe Furino played as a defensive midfielder throughout his career and was renowned for being a physical and aggressive player despite his small stature. Furino was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1946. He began his professional career playing for Savona and, eventually, Palermo. In 1969, he made the move up north, beginning his tenure with Juventus. Here, he developed the nickname “fury” among the fans, as he was a tenacious player, leaving everything out on the field.

Furino is well known for his vision and ball-winning ability, making him an exceptional defensive midfielder. While playing in a defensive role, Furino managed to score 21 goals and generate six assists throughout his career. Notably, he is an eight-time Italian champion and two-time Italian Cup winner.

9. Didier Deschamps

• Three-time Serie A winner
• 1993 UEFA Champions League winner
• Two-time Coppa Italia winner

Didier Deschamps was born in 1968 in Bayonne, France. He rose through the FC Nantes youth academy, becoming a professional first-squad player in 1985. During his time playing in the French league, Deschamps made a name for his defensive midfielder abilities, becoming a successful ball-winner and talented offensive play starter. In 1994, Deschamps left the French league and joined Juventus, where he had an incredible five-year stint.

During his time with Juventus, Deschamps won the Serie A three times, two Italian cups, and even the 1993 UEFA Champions League season. Deschamps was highly regarded for his work rate, stamina, ball-winning ability, vision, ball distribution, and tackles. While he did not score many goals during his time in Italy, he was a key play starter and contributed to the success of the team’s forwards.

10. Carlos Tevez

• Two-time Italian championship winner
• Four-time Player of the Year
• Italian Super Cup winner

Carlos Tevez was born and raised in Ciudadela in 1984. He had a successful career playing for South American clubs, eventually moving to Europe to play for West Ham in the English Premier League in 2006. After becoming a star player and sought-after goal scorer for Manchester City, he left the Premier League and joined Juventus in 2013, where he proved his abilities and attacking skills in the Italian league.

In just two seasons, he scored 39 goals and made 14 assists, becoming a crucial role in Juventus’ success. In both seasons, he won a Player of the Year award, as well as the Italian championship. Throughout his career, Carlos Tevez has scored a whopping 257 goals, proving his goal-scoring ability. While his time with Juventus was shorter than other former stars, he played a crucial role in the team’s championship wins for two consecutive years.

Honorable Mentions

• Andrea Pirlo
• Cristiano Ronaldo
• Fabio Capello
• Gaetano Sciria
• Gianluca Viali
• Gianluca Zambrotta
• Paolo Montero
• Pietro Rava
• Sandro Salvadore
• Sergio Brio