Inter Milan: Ranking The 50 Greatest Inter Players Of All-Time
Picking the top 50 players in the history of Internazionale of Milan is not easy. There are many greats that do not make the list because this club has been a world power for decades. After Inter won the UEFA Champions League earlier this year, the time seems right to introduce the best players to suit up for the Nerazzurri.
No. 50 Gianluca Pagliuca (1994-1999)
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Pagliuca spent most of his best years with Sampdoria. He moved to Inter in 1994 to replace Walter Zenga. Pagliuca holds the record for most Serie A appearances by a goalkeeper. He won one UEFA Cup with Inter.
No. 49 Diego Milito (2009-Present)
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Joined Inter from Genoa and promptly led the club to the UEFA Champions League title in his first season, scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
No. 48 Samuel Eto'o (2009-Present)
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Eto'o joined Inter in 2009 as part of a trade that sent Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Barcelona. He played a key role in Inter winning the UEFA Champions League title in 2010 and has started out the the 2010-11 season on a tear, keeping the club from avoiding a complete disaster following the injury to many top players.
No. 47 Annibale Frossi (1936-1942)
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Frossi, who refused to play without his glasses, was the leading scorer in Italy's gold medal-winning side at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and won two league titles and one Coppa Italia with Inter.
No. 46 Virgilio Fossati (1909-1915)
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Fossati was the first captain in the club's history and the first Inter player to play for Italy.
The midfielder played 97 times for Inter, scoring four goals.
He died on the battlefield during World War I.
No. 45 Nicola Berti (1988-1998)
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Berti was one of the top midfielders in Serie A in the 1990s. He was part of Italy's third-place squad at the 1990 World Cup finals and runner-up in 1994. He won one league title and three UEFA Cups with Inter.
No. 44 Dejan Stankovic (2004-Current)
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Stankovic has been a star in Serie A for more than a decade. He joined Lazio as a teenager after the 1998 World Cup and has shown the ability to play anywhere in the midfield. He scored a hat trick for an Inter squad decimated by injuries in its 5-2 victory over Parma on Nov. 28.
No. 43 Jurgen Klinsmann (1989-1992)
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Klinsmann joined Inter in 1989 and the striker played a key role in the club's 1990-91 UEFA Cup title.
No. 42 Macion (2006-Current)
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The Brazilian has become the world's top right back in his time with Inter, and the club has won the Scudetto every year he been with them.
No. 41 Angelo Domenghini (1964-1969)
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Inter signed the winger from Atalanta in 1964. He ended up playing a number of roles with the club during its glory days in the days of the 1960s. He won two league titles and one European Cup.
No. 39 Giorgio Ghezzi (1951-58)
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Ghezzi was known for his toughness as he frequently jumped face first at the ball whenever an opponent burst into the penalty area. As a result, he redefined goalkeeping in Italy. He won two league titles with Inter.
No. 38 Evaristo Beccalossi (1978-1984)
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A great playmaker for Inter in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Beccalossi never made it to Italy's National Team. He helped Inter win the 1979-1980 Scudetto.
No. 37 Aristide Guarneri (1958-1967, 1969-70)
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A key player during Inter's glory years in the 1960s, Guarneri teamed up with Armando Picchi to form the top central defensive tandem in Italy. He played 335 Serie A matches for Inter. He won three Scudettos, two European titles and two intercontinental titles. He also was part of Italy's 1968 European Championship squad.
No. 36 Wesley Sneijder (2009-Current)
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Inter's key playermaker in its 2010 UEFA Champions League title-winning season. With more time with the club, he can move up higher on the list.
No. 35 Esteban Cambiasso (2004-Present)
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Signed on a free transfer from Real Madrid after the Galacticos brought in David Beckham as his replacement, the Argentinian has shown Real Madrid it made a mistake in letting him go as he has become one of the world's best defensive midfielders.
No. 34 Mario Bertini (1968-1977)
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Bertini was one of the top midfielders in the world in the late 1960 and early 1970s. He was a starter on Italy's 1970 World Cup team, which finished second to Pele's Brazil.
He played in 210 Serie A matches with Inter, scoring 31 times. He also won one Scudetto with the club.
No. 33 Riccardo Ferri (1981-1994)
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Ferri was a tough central defender who was one of the toughest man markers of his generation. He was part of Inter's 1988-89 defense that set a record for the least amount of goals conceded in a Serie A season. He won two Scudettos and two UEFA Cups with Inter.
No. 32 Luigi Allemandi (1928-1935)
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The defender joined Inter from Juventus in 1927, a year after being banned for life for being accepting money to fix match, in which he apparantly actually played well in. Following the ban, he was given a reprieve by Prince Umberto di Savoia and joined Inter. He won a league title and in 1934 became a world champion with Italy in the World Cup.
No. 31 Julio Cesar (2005-Current)
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The Brazilian became Inter's No. 1 during the 2005-06 season and has been one of the best in the world ever since. He is frequently mentioned along with Juventus' Gianluigi Buffon and Real Madrid's Iker Casillas as one of the best three goalkeepers in the world.
Inter has won four Scudettos since he became the starter and he was so valuable in last season's Champions League victory.
No. 30 Gino Armano (1948-1956)
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Armano was a winger who played both ways as he was a solid defender as well. He scored 73 goals in 255 Serie A appearances for Inter. He is one of the few players with more than 400 Serie A career appearances to never play for Italy.
No. 29 Attilio De Maria (1931-1936, 1938-1943)
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Born in Argentina, De Maria was Inter's first big overseas transfer. He became an Italian citizen and helped lead Italy to the 1934 World Cup title.
He scored 86 goals in 295 Serie A matches with Inter, winning one league title and one Coppa Italia.
No. 28 Gabriele Oriali (1970-1983)
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Oriali was a versatile midfielder who played a key role for Inter in the 1970s. He played in 277 Serie A matches for Inter and scored 33 goals. He was a world champion with Italy in 1982.
No. 27 Giuseppe Baresi (1976-1992)
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Overshadowed by his brother Franco who was a legend with rival AC Milan, Giuseppe captained Inter throughout much of the 1980s and made 559 appearances with club, including 392 in Serie A. He won two league titles, two Italian cups and an Italian Super Cup. He is currently Inter's assistant manager.
No. 26 Andreas Brehme (1988-1992)
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The German defender was one of the greatest full backs in history. He played a key role in Inter's 1988-89 Scudetto-winning side, who set a record for points and fewest goals allowed. He scored a penalty kick, the only goal in the 1990 World Cup final.
No. 25 Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (1984-1987)
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A two-time European Footballer of the Year, who also led West Germany to the 1980 European Championship and a second-place finish in the 1982 World Cup. He had 24 goals in 64 Serie A appearances for Inter.
No. 24 Servaas Wilkes (1949-1952)
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One of the greatest Dutch players ever, Wilkes scored 47 goals in 95 Serie A games with Inter.
No. 23 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2006-2009)
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The dominant Swedish striker of Slavic origin led Inter to three straight Scudettos from 2007 to 2009, when he left for Barcelona. Ibrahimovic scored 57 goals in 88 Serie A games for Inter. He is now with rival AC Milan.
No. 22 Aldo Campatelli (1936-1950)
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Campatelli played and managed Inter. As a player, he was a midfielder who played in 304 Serie A matches, scoring 44 times. He made his pro debut with Inter at just age 17.
No. 21 Luigi Cevenini (1912-1915, 1919-1921, 1922-1927)
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Cevenini was a dominant striker in the early days of the sport, scoring 156 times in 190 matches for Inter.
No. 20 Christian Vieri (1999-2005)
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Born in Italy but raised in Australia, Vieri returned to Italy as a teenager. After bouncing around with several clubs, he made Inter his home for six years arriving in a world-record setting transfer.
Often injured along with strike partner Ronaldo, he scored 103 goals in 143 Serie A matches with Inter.
No. 19 Walter Zenga (1982-1994)
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Inter's goalie of the 1980s and early 1990s, Zenga was Italy's No. 1 at the 1990 World Cup. He recorded five consecutive shutouts in that World Cup. He won a Scudetto and two UEFA Cups with Inter, playing in 328 Serie A matches.
No. 18 Jair (1962-1967, 1968-1972)
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The great Brazilian wing won four league titles with Inter as well as two European and two Intercontinental titles. He was a part of Brazil's 1962 World Cup winning squad.
He scored 53 goals in 199 appearances with Inter in Serie A.
No. 17 Benito Lorenzi (1947-1958)
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A controversial character, Lorenzi scored 138 times in 305 appearances for Inter. He had nine consecutive seasons of double figures in scoring with the club in Serie A.
No. 16 Antonio Valentin Angelillo (1957-1961)
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The Argentina-born Angelillo scored 33 goals in 33 Serie A matches during the 1958-59 season. No player has scored 33 times in a single season in Serie A since.
Angelillo scored 68 times in 113 matches with the club in Serie A.
No. 15 Tarcisio Burgnich (1962-1974)
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One of the greatest defenders of all-time, Burgnich played on the right side of Inter's legendary defense of the 1960s. He appeared in 358 league games for Inter, and played in three World Cups for Italy. In his time with Inter, the club won four Scudettos and two European and Intercontinental titles.
No. 14 Roberto Boninsegna (1969-1976)
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Boninsegna twice led Serie A in scoring while with Inter. He scored 113 times in 197 league matches with the club. He scored Italy's lone goal in the 1970 World Cup final, which it lost to Brazil, 4-1.
No. 13 Javier Zanetti (1995-Current)
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The current captain of Inter has gotten better with age. Earlier in his career he was looked upon as a great individual player, but not a great team leader like Paolo Maldini was with rival AC Milan.
But Zanetti has shown his value in recent years, as he has played a number of positions in both the midfield or the defense on either the right or left side.
He played in 137 consecutive Serie A matches, which ended during Week 32 of the 2009-10 season due to receiving yellow cards in consecutive matches.
Zanetti has played more than 700 times in all competitions for Inter. He has won five Serie A titles, a UEFA Cup and a UEFA Champions League title.
No. 12 Alessandro Altobelli (1977-1988)
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Altobelli was a scoring machine for Inter in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He scored 209 times in 466 appearances (all competitions) for the club. Of his 209 goals, 128 came in Serie A. He won one Scudetto with Inter.
He also was a world champion with Italy in 1982 and scored a goal in the final against West Germany in the 3-1 match.
No. 11 Istvan Nyers (1948-1954)
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Born in France of Hungarian parents, Nyers scored 133 goals in 182 appearances. He won two league titles at Inter.
No. 10 Lothar Matthaus (1988-1992)
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One of the greatest players in the history of the sport, Matthaus appeared in five World Cups, a record for a non-goalie.
During his Inter days he was a central midfielder
He was named European and World Soccer Player of the Year in 1990 when he led Germany to the World Cup title. He led Inter to a Scudetto in 1989 and an Italian Super Cup.
He was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1991 as well, leading Inter to a UEFA Cup title.
From his midfield role he scored 40 times in 115 Serie A matches with Inter.
No. 9 Lennart Skoglund (1950-1959)
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One of the greatest Swedish players ever, the left winger known as "Nacka" was blessed with amazing ball skills. He played a key role in the success of Sweden at both the 1950 and 1958 World Cups.
Once wanted by super Brazilian club Sao Paulo, he ended joining Inter in 1950. He played with the club until 1959, appearing in 241 league matches, scoring 55 times.
He won two league titles with Inter.
No. 8 Armando Picchi (1960-1967)
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Inter's greatest central defender, Picchi was the club's sweeper and captain during its glory days.
He won three league titles, two European and two intercontinental titles in his career with Inter.
He died at just age 36 in 1971, following his playing career.
No. 7 Mario Corso (1957-1973)
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A left-winger blessed with a ton of talent, Corso played 436 times for Inter, scoring 78 goals.
Known for his crosses and free-kick taking ability, Corso won four Italian league titles as well as two European and two intercontinental titles with the club.
No. 6 Giuseppe Bergomi (1981-1999)
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Nobody has played more matches in an Inter uniform than Bergomi's 758 appearances. He became a World Cup winner at age 18 in 1982.
He started as a wing man-to-man defender and became a central defender later in his career, when zone defenses began to become more popular. Bergomi spent his entire career with Inter. He played in four World Cups and won one league title and three UEFA Cups with Inter.
No. 5 Sandro Mazzola (1960-1977)
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Mazzola was the son of Valentino Mazzola, who many felt would have been one of the greatest players ever. Valentino's life was cut short in the 1949 Superga air disaster that killed the entire Torino team, much of which was expected to compete for Italy in the 1950 World Cup.
Sandro would have made his father proud as he spent his entire career with Inter, as its attacking midfielder. He finished second in the voting for the 1971 European Player of the Year award.
He won four Italian league titles, two European and two intercontinental titles with Inter.
He also won a European title with Italy in 1968 and was part of Italy's second-place squad in the 1970 World Cup.
No. 4 Luis Suarez (1961-1970)
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Suarez was the reigning European Player of the Year when Inter bought him from Barcelona. He would go on to be the leader of Inter's midfield playing behind Mazzola's advanced role in the 1960s.
Under Suarez, the club won three Scudettos, two European and two intercontinental titles with Inter.
He is regarded by many to be Spain's greatest player ever.
No. 3 Giacinto Facchetti (1960-1978)
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Facchetti was simply pure class. One of the greatest defenders of all-time, the 6-foot-3 Facchetti operated Inter's and Italy's left side during the 1960s and much of the 1970s.
As one who pushed forward often, he scored 75 times in 629 career appearances for the club.
He received just one red card in his career.
He won four Scudettos, two European and two intercontinental titles. He also won the 1968 European Cup with Italy and finished as a runner-up to Brazil in the 1970 World Cup.
Facchetti remained with the club in a number of roles up until his death in 2006 due to pancreatic cancer.
No. 2 Ronaldo (1997-2002)
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Ronaldo's career with Inter may have been short and cut due to a number of injuries. If not for the injuries, he might have gone on to be the best player ever.
He played 99 matches all together with Inter, scoring 59 goals.
He scored 25 goals in his first season in Serie A with Inter, the most ever for a first-year player in Italy's top division.
He is a three-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year award, having done it the season he joined and left Inter.
Ronaldo holds the record for most goals in the FIFA World Cup with 15.
No. 1 Giuseppe Meazza (1927-1940)
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When the stadium the club plays in is named after you, it is hard to argue that Giuseppe Meazza isn't Inter's greatest player ever.
Meazza scored 245 goals in 348 appearances for the club. He was the leader for Italy in winning the 1934 and 1938 World Cups.
Inter won three Serie A titles during Meazza's reign with the club.
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