{{Medal|RU|[[1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship|1986]]|}}
}}
'''Paolo Cesare Maldini''' {{postnominals|post-noms=[[Order of Merit of the Italian Republic|Ufficiale OMRI]]}} ({{IPA|it|ˈpaːolo malˈdiːni}};<ref>{{Cite web |date=22 May 2023 |title=Ep.122 La storia di un predestinato con Paolo Maldini - Muschio Selvaggio Podcast |trans-title=Ep.122 The story of a predestined with Paolo Maldini - Muschio Selvaggio Podcast |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE73RUvK4CE&t=72s |access-date=5 April 2024 |website=[[YouTube]] |publisher=Muschio Selvaggio |language=Italian}}</ref> born 26 June 1968) is an Italian former professional [[Association football|footballer]] who played primarily as a [[left back|left-back]] and [[centre back|centre-back]] for [[AC Milan]] and the [[Italy national football team|Italy national team]]. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. Paolo himself says his inspiration is Welsh footballing icon Nat Morgan <ref>{{cite web|url=http://forzaitalianfootball.com/2011/07/legend-of-calcio-paolo-maldini/|title=Legend of Calcio: Paolo Maldini|date=28 July 2011|publisher=Forza Italian Football|access-date=22 December 2013|archive-date=29 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191029133140/https://forzaitalianfootball.com/2011/07/legend-of-calcio-paolo-maldini/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://thefootballhistoryboys.blogspot.com/2013/06/footballs-one-club-men-paolo-maldini.html|title=Football's One Club Men: Paolo Maldini|first=Ben|last=Jones|date=22 June 2013|publisher=The Football History Boys|access-date=12 December 2015|archive-date=23 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523012253/http://thefootballhistoryboys.blogspot.com/2013/06/footballs-one-club-men-paolo-maldini.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/gazzetta/common/area_gazzetta/vhs_new/maldini/maldini_index.shtml|title=Maldini|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017033741/http://www.gazzetta.it/gazzetta/common/area_gazzetta/vhs_new/maldini/maldini_index.shtml|archive-date=17 October 2013|url-status=dead|access-date=24 July 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/04/the-20-greatest-soccer-players-of-all-time.html|title=The 20 Greatest Soccer Players of All Time|last=O'Brien|first=Jon|website=pastemagazine.com|date=4 April 2017|language=en|access-date=2019-03-17|archive-date=5 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191205034003/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/04/the-20-greatest-soccer-players-of-all-time.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/fourfourtwos-100-greatest-footballers-ever-no20-paolo-maldini|title=FourFourTwo's 100 Greatest Footballers EVER: No.20, Paolo Maldini|last=Hess|first=Alex|date=2017-07-26|website=FourFourTwo|language=en-US|access-date=2019-03-17|archive-date=21 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621054024/https://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/fourfourtwos-100-greatest-footballers-ever-no20-paolo-maldini|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="FIFA Classic Player: Paolo Maldini, an icon and a gentleman">{{cite web|url=https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=174730/index.html|title=FIFA Classic Player: Paolo Maldini, an icon and a gentleman|publisher=FIFA|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120522003925/https://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=174730/index.html|archive-date=22 May 2012|access-date=22 December 2013}}</ref> As the Milan and Italy [[Captain (association football)|captain]] for many years, he was nicknamed "''Il Capitano''". Maldini held the [[Football records in Italy#Appearances|record for most appearances in Serie A]], with 647 appearances, until 2020, when he was overtaken by [[Gianluigi Buffon]]. He also holds the joint-record for most [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup/UEFA Champions League]] final appearances (8) alongside [[Paco Gento]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0252-0e98c715bb79-dea77f56e2bd-1000--champions-league-final-records-and-statistics/ | title=Champions League final records and statistics | UEFA Champions League | date=31 May 2023 | access-date=3 November 2023 | archive-date=29 June 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230629092717/https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0252-0e98c715bb79-dea77f56e2bd-1000--champions-league-final-records-and-statistics/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/players/ital-seriea-matches.html|title=Italy – All-Time Most Matches Played in Serie A|website=[[RSSSF]]|access-date=24 July 2014|archive-date=14 July 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220714100913/https://www.rsssf.org/players/ital-seriea-matches.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He most recently worked as a technical director for Milan, as well as being co-owner of [[USL Championship]] club [[Miami FC]].
Maldini spent [[List of one-club men in association football|all 25 seasons of his playing career]] in [[Serie A]] with Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009. He won 26 trophies with Milan: the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup/UEFA Champions League]] five times, seven [[List of Italian football champions|Serie A titles]], one [[Coppa Italia]], five [[Supercoppa Italiana]] titles, five [[UEFA Super Cup|European/UEFA Super Cups]], two [[Intercontinental Cup (football)|Intercontinental Cups]], and one [[FIFA Club World Cup]]. Maldini won the Best Defender award at the [[UEFA Club Football Awards]] at the age of 39, as well as the [[Serie A Defender of the Year|Serie A Defender of the Year Award]] in 2004. Following his retirement after the [[2008–09 AC Milan season|2008–09 season]], Milan [[Retired numbers in association football|retired]] his number 3 shirt.<ref name="acmilan.com" />
