Michel Platini was one of the greatest midfielders in the history of the game, an attacking maestro whose vision, dead-ball mastery and instinct for goal were without peer in his era. Elegant and unhurried, he orchestrated matches with a passing range that few have matched and scored with a frequency remarkable for a midfielder.
He starred for Saint-Étienne before moving to Juventus, where he won league titles and the European Cup, topping the Serie A scoring charts and collecting three consecutive Ballon d’Or awards. His crowning glory came with France, whom he inspired to victory at the 1984 European Championship with a scarcely believable run of goals.
A free-kick specialist and supreme reader of space, he combined artistry with ruthless productivity, and he stands among the finest players France has ever produced.