Juventus are the most successful team in Italy. They have a record of 36 Scudettos(League titles), 14 Coppa Italia, and 2 Champions League. Their history is star-studded, and so are the players that have played for them. Some of the biggest names in World Football have played for Juventus over the years.
Past Ballon d’Or winners have represented Juve, and they have won tons of trophies while playing for them. Some of the who’s who of football have represented Juventus, and talking about the Ballon d’Or, a total of eight Juve players have won the prestigious trophy, including 4 consecutive times between 1982-1985.
There have been numerous world-class players that have worn the famous black and white shirts in the past. In this article, we list the best Juventus players of all time.
1. Michel Platini
Number 1 on our list of the best Juventus players, is one of the most iconic and era-defining players of all time. A bonafide icon and a true master of the game. Michel Platini is one of the greatest players ever to grace football. Platini won the Ballon d’Or in three consecutive seasons for Juventus between 1983-85.
Platini scored the only goal of the 1984-85 European final against Liverpool, which was overshadowed by the Heysel disaster. He also won the 1984 Euros with France during his time with Juventus. An influential playmaker in his heyday, Platini was a great playmaker, along with being deadly from set-pieces.
Fair to say, Michel Platini’s five years with Juventus were trophy-laden both individually and team-wise.
He goes down as one of the greatest ever to wear the No.10 shirt for Juventus.
- Total Appearances – 147
- Total Goals – 68
- Trophies – 7
- Years – 1982-1987
2. Alessandro Del Piero
Quite possibly the greatest ever Juventus player. When you think of Juventus, Del Piero is one of the first players to come to mind. He is a huge icon in Turin and enjoys cult status with the Bianconeris—the best player ever to wear the No. 10 shirt at Juve.
Del Piero’s legendary status at Juventus is not just because of his skills and career as a player but also because he stayed at Juventus when they went down to Serie B amidst the Calciopoli scandal and then helped them to come back up to Serie A.
He could have easily left the club like other big stars like Cannavaro and Ibrahimovic, but he stayed put and brought Juventus back into the big time.
Pinturicchio, as he is known fondly because of how artistic he was as a player, is the current record holder for most appearances for Juventus with 705 and is also the record top scorer for the club with 290 goals.
Del Piero was a diminutive playmaker and also a capable marksman. He used to play in a variety of positions for Juventus in the forward line, and his versatility made him an invaluable asset.
- Total Appearances – 705
- Total Goals – 290
- Trophies – 15
- Years – 1993-2012
3. Zinedine Zidane
One of the biggest stars in world football, and one of the best Juventus players ever is next on our list. Real Madrid had to fork out €75m, a world-record fee at the time to prize Zidane away from Juventus. That was the level the French magician had reached by that time. Zizou was the reason Juventus looked on a different level in the mid to late 90s. He ran the show for Juve in both Serie A and the Champions League.
Zidane and Juve were unlucky not to win a Champions League together, having to finish as runner-up two times. Zinedine Zidane won the Ballon d’Or during his stint at Juve in 1998 and also won French Footballer of the Year for his exploits both domestically and internationally.
Zidane was also named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year twice during his time at Juventus. He was the major creative force for Juve, and along with De Piero, they formed a deadly partnership at the club level. Zizou became a world-class player at Juventus and then some.
Zidane ended up scoring 24 goals in 151 appearances for Juventus.
- Appearances – 151
- Goals – 24
- Trophies – 6
- Years – 1996-2001
4. David Trezeguet
It’s raining Frenchmen, hallelujah! Safe to say Juventus have almost always got their French signings on the spot. Trezeguet is one of the finest strikers ever to play the beautiful game. TrezeGOL was a deadly poacher for Juve during his decade at the club.
Trezeguet’s instinctive finishes and his movement off the ball made him one of the most feared strikers in Serie A history. Starting as a backup striker to Inzaghi and Del Piero, Trezeguet quickly became a permanent fixture in the Juve side with his finishing abilities.
Trezeguet has an envious record for Juventus. He has scored 138 league goals in just 245 appearances. That is crazy good!
The reason he is also so adored by Juventus fans is that he is also one of the only players who didn’t leave Juventus when they went down to Serie B. Instead, he helped the club to make an immediate return to Serie A.
- Appearances – 245
- Goals – 138
- Trophies – 4
- Years – 2000-2010
5. Pavel Nedved
A true specimen of grit. Pavel Nedved arrived from Lazio quite late in his career, and his €39m raised quite a few eyebrows. Nedved, though, had other plans. He is now one of the finest ever players to wear the black and white of Juve.
Nedved was so influential for Juventus that he ended up winning the Ballon d’Or, Serie A Footballer of the Year, and Serie A Foreigner of the Year all in the same year – 2003.
He won a host of honours at Juventus, but he always had one regret. He couldn’t play in the Champions League final against Milan in 2003 due to suspension. For such an influential player, who knows what the result could have been if he had played in that game?
The Czech fury went down with Juventus to Serie B after the Calciopoli scandal and didn’t leave the Bianconeris for a top club despite getting offers. Instead, he helped the club to gain promotion back to Serie A.
Nedved was appointed vice chairman of the board of directors at Juventus after his playing career.
- Appearances – 247
- Goals – 51
- Trophies – 5
- Years – 2001-2009
6. Gianluigi Buffon
Gigi Buffon is one of the most exceptional goalkeepers ever. Gigi moved to Juventus from Parma for €52m, a world record for a goalkeeper at the time. He was already an Italy international and regarded highly in the league. At Juventus, he just went to a completely different level.
Gigi Buffon justified his fee in just his first two seasons at the club. He made countless important saves and dominated his area, and he helped Juve to win the Scudetto back-to-back. Gigi was also influential in leading Juve to a Champions League final in 2003.
Buffon won 8 Best Serie A Goalkeeper awards, and he tops almost every record in Serie A. From most appearances to most clean sheets, Gigi has done it all. He even won the World Cup with Italy while doing all the other things. One of the classiest guys to play the game ever!
We may sound like a broken record here, but even Buffon was part of the players that refused to leave Juve when they got relegated to Serie B. He stayed with the club through thick and thin.
A modern-day icon, Buffon has achieved accolades some can even dream of. Buffon played for Juventus in two stints; the second time, he was more of a backup and a mentor to the other goalkeepers at the club.
- Appearances – 526
- Clean Sheets – 202
- Trophies – 21
- Years – 2001-2018, 2019-2021
7. Ciro Ferrara
Ciro can be used as a definition for a winner. Ciro Ferrara was already winning things with Napoli, and he continued where he left off after joining Juventus. A Rolls-Royce of a defender, Ferrara helped Juventus land some of the greatest honours in football. He is genuinely one of the greatest to pull on the Bianconeri shirt.
Ciro Ferrara’s leadership was unmatchable. He is regarded as one of the most influential captains of all time.
Under his leadership, Juventus won three Serie A titles in 4 years between 1994-1998 and also won the Champions League in 1996. He was one of the most dominant defenders in World football during his stint at Juve.
Off the pitch, Ciro Ferrara, after retiring, tried to help Juvetnus get back to their lost glory by taking up the manager’s job in 2009 when Juve was still struggling in Serie A after coming back up from Serie B.
Ciro remains a popular figure in Turin, and his legacy at Juventus is second to none.
- Appearances – 253
- Goals – 17
- Trophies – 14
- Years – 1994-2005
8. Dino Zoff
Mr. Consistent! Before Buffon, there was Dino Zoff. He was one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, and he will remain one of the greatest ever to play the game in history. Zoff’s game revolved around being consistent in everything he did in his box.
Dino Zoff was never a flashy goalkeeper, yet he was the most reliable one for both club and country. He led from the back with spectacular saves and good distribution. He was a leader in that great Juve side of the 70s.
Despite being 30 years of age, Juve still took a gamble on him, and boy, did it pay off! Zoff only got better with age, and when others declined after 30, Dino Zoff kept reaching different heights of success.
Zoff won a lot of titles at Juventus, and he was an integral part of those successes. The only trophy that kept evading him was the European Cup. He was a runner-up two times with Juventus. But he did win the Euros and a World Cup with Italy, with the latter coming during his stint with Juve.
- Appearances – 330
- Trophies – 9
- Years – 1972-1983
9. Antonio Conte
The heartbeat of the team. Conte was as feisty as a player for Juventus as he is as a manager currently. A proper no-nonsense player.
Conte’s playing style was very rabid. He was a committed player with great stamina and enthusiasm. He was one of the reasons Juve was so successful in the whole 90s as a club.
Conte was a leader in that squad of greats. He made the team tick, he was never spectacular in the eyes, but he did all the dirty work for the team. He won duels, pressed teams, and maintained the shape of the team. Conte did all the donkey work for those Juve sides for a better part of the decade.
Conte’s commitment to the cause and his never-back-down nature won him a great amount of team and personal accolades. Conte’s legacy at Juve is not only limited to his playing days.
He retired, became a manager, and then went on to win three consecutive Scudetto with Juventus from 2011-2013. This way, he cemented his legacy both on and off the field.
- Appearances – 296
- Goals – 27
- Trophies – 16(12 as a player and 4 as a manager)
- Years – 1991-2004
10. Paolo Rossi
You don’t need to have long careers at clubs to become a legend. Sometimes moments are enough, and that is what Rossi had in abundance. He was the king of moments. His 1982 World Cup campaign is the ultimate testament to his moment-producing career.
Rossi had two stints at Juventus, the first one was plagued with injuries, and he barely played. His second stint coincided with the 1982 World Cup, after which he had tremendous success with Juventus. He contributed heavily to Juve’s 2 Scudetto wins and also to the European Cup win in 1985.
Having someone like Platini behind you helps, but it doesn’t make Rossi’s contribution any less, and anyway, if a player contributes to a European Cup win, then he should become a legendary figure.
It can be argued that Rossi is more of an Italian legend than Juventus, but what no one can argue is his contribution to Juventus’ success in the mid-80s.
- Appearances – 83
- Goals – 24
- Trophies – 5
- Years – 1973-1976, 1981-1985
11. Gaetano Scirea
Greatest Juventus player of all time? Gaetano Scirea won everything that was there to be won with Juventus. UEFA themselves have recognised his achievements as he has won all the UEFA trophies with Juventus on top of winning every domestic trophy.
Scirea won all the trophies with a classy attitude. While his partner in crime and his fellow centre-back Gentile was a robust defender, Scirea had a calm demeanour about him. He was fair in the tackle, a good passer, and had a great sense of positioning. Scirea never received a single red card in his career.
Juventus can today look at their glorious past because of how Scirea led the great Juve side of the 70s. He is the reason why Juventus could transition into modern football with ease.
In Turin, Gaetano Scirea is considered the greatest Bianconeri ever beside Del Piero. He arguably had the greatest impact on a Juventus team than any other player in their star-studded history.
- Appearances – 377
- Goals – 24
- Trophies – 14
- Years – 1974-1988
12. John Charles
You don’t get voted as the Best Foreigner for every play for Juventus by fans if you are not special. We are going back to a time when it was cool to play two positions.
John Charles played as both a centre-back and a centre-forward. He did play centre-forward more often. The Welshman was a transfer record breaker back in 1957 when Juventus paid £65,000 to Leeds to secure his services.
John Charles formed an iconic partnership with Omar Sivori and Giampiero Boniperti, and the trio was known as The Holy Trident by the fans. Charles was a prolific goal-scorer for Juventus. He was good both in the air and on the ground. His heading prowess was second to none as well as his accurate finishing.
John Charles scored a ton of goals and led Juventus to multiple titles. He was also fondly known as II Gigante Buono(The Gentle Giant) by the Juve fans due to his massive stature and fair tactics on the field.
- Appearances – 155
- Goals – 108
- Trophies – 5
- Years – 1957-1962
13. Giampiero Boniperti
You cannot leave a guy out whose goalscoring record took 40 years to break! Part of the Holy Trinity, Bonifperti was the record goal scorer for Juventus, having scored 178 times in 443 appearances. The record stood for 40 years until Del Piero broke it on 10th January 2006.
Boniperti was a one-club man, and he only ever represented Juventus in his playing career. His goal-scoring exploits and his partnership with Omar Sivori and John Charles made him a legendary figure at the club.
- Appearances – 443
- Goals – 178
- Trophies – 7
- Years – 1946-1961
Honourable Mentions
- Lilian Thuram
- Omar Sivori
- Claudio Gentile
- Roberto Bettega
- Gianluca Vialli
Juventus have a star-studded history both honour-wise and player-wise. They will continue to have a success-laden future because of the stature of their club. There are so many more legendary players who have played for the club that it is impossible to list all of them.
Juventus will hope that this luxurious trouble will keep appearing even in the future when it would be difficult to list out their legendary players from the past.
