Paolo Maldini Names the Three Greatest Players He’s Ever Seen, Completely Snubs Cristiano Ronaldo

• AC Milan legend Paolo Maldini has revealed his exclusive list of the greatest footballers he has ever seen
• The 54-year-old reserved spots for some of the game's greats, including Ronaldo Nazario and Diego Maradona
• However, his three-man list had a big absentee in the Portuguese phenomenon, Cristiano Ronaldo

Paolo Maldini, touted as one of the finest defenders of all time, has mentioned Diego Maradona and two other football legends as the greatest players he has ever seen.

The iconic Italian came face to face with some of the game's biggest names in a playing career which lasted almost three decades.

The AC Milan legend played against the enigmatic Argentine playmaker Diego Armando Maradona, three-time World Footballer of the Year Ronaldo Nazario, silky Brazilian Ronaldinho and 1998 World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane to mention a few.

Who did Maldini name?

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When asked to name the finest footballer(s) he has seen, Maldini widened his scope of the greatest of all-time preferences to include Diego Maradona and Ronaldo Nazario, two players he often faced during their stints with Napoli and Inter Milan, respectively, GOAL reports.

He also included seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and reigning FIFA The Best Men's Player, Lionel Messi, despite never crossing paths with him.

"The three greatest players I saw in my career were Messi, Maradona and him [Ronaldo Nazario]," Paolo said via Tribuna in a documentary about Ronaldo Nazario, O Fenomeno.

Interesting absentees

In an attempt to name Ronaldo Nazario, Messi and Maradona in his GOAT list, the 54-year-old had to painstakingly leave out some of the game's greatest achievers.

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Legendary Brazilian Edson Arantes do Nascimento, affectionately called Pele, who passed on last December after a long battle with cancer, and Ronaldinho were conspicuously absent.

Not forgetting Zinedine Zidane and Lionel Messi's fiercest rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, failed to make Maldini's illustrious list.

Maldini extends Technical Director role

Sports Brief reported that Paolo Maldini will stay on as AC Milan's technical director after signing a new two-year contract in July last year.

Milan icon Maldini's new deal means that the seven-time European champions will keep the duo who built their Scudetto-winning side.

He has been critical in Milan signing some of their most important players, one such example being a now-famous meeting in Ibiza which was crucial to bringing Theo Hernandez to the club in 2019.