Captaincy is more than an armband: it is the standard a team is held to. We ranked the great leaders on what they won as captain, the example they set, and their presence on the biggest occasions.

1. 1

   Franz Beckenbauer

   West Germany · Germany

   Lifted the World Cup as captain and later won it as manager — the model of the leader-statesman.

2. 2

   Paolo Maldini

   AC Milan · Italy

   Twenty-five years of elegance and authority, the eternal captain of club and country.

3. 3

   Bobby Moore

   England · England

   Composure personified, and the man who lifted the World Cup at Wembley in 1966.

4. 4

   Sergio Ramos

   Real Madrid · Spain

   The most clutch leader of his era, dragging Madrid to European titles with last-gasp goals.

5. 5

   Carles Puyol

   FC Barcelona · Spain

   Heart, hair and total commitment — the defiant captain of Barcelona’s and Spain’s golden age.

6. 6

   Roy Keane

   Manchester United · Ireland

   A captain who demanded everything of himself and everyone around him, and usually got it.

7. 7

   Steven Gerrard

   Liverpool · England

   Carried Liverpool through their greatest modern nights with the armband and a refusal to lose.

8. 8

   Franco Baresi

   AC Milan · Italy

   The sweeper-general who led Milan’s greatest sides with positioning and authority.

9. 9

   Diego Maradona

   Argentina · Argentina

   Captained Argentina to the 1986 World Cup in the most personal triumph the game has known.

10. 10

    Javier Zanetti

    Inter Milan · Argentina

    Two decades of dependability and dignity as Inter’s captain — Il Capitano in full.

A LeaguePaper editorial ranking — opinion, offered for argument.