In the UEFA newspaper CHAMPIONS there is an article that talks about "the 19 players (plus 1 referee) that have changed the world". Pirlo one of them.
1. Andrea Pirlo (ita) considered "the new creative guide"
2. Giacinto Facchetti (ita) which "has revolutioned the defensive rules"
3. Roberto Baggio (ita) "The poet that make enchants italy of the fine game"
4. Paolo Maldini (ita) "The theory of the evolution personified"
5. Zinedine Zidane (fra) "a sporty icon, social and racial"
6. Diego Armando Maradona (arg) "The genius that compelled the managers to change the rules"
7. Jimmy Hogan (uk)
8. Stanley Matthews (uk)
9. George Best (uk)
10. Oleg Blokhin (ussr)
11. Gerd Muller (ger)
12. Franz Beckenbauer (ger)
13. Raymond Kopa (fra)
14. Eric Cantona (fra)
15. Petar Radenkovic (jug)
16. Ladislao Kubala (ung)
17. Nandor Hidegkuti (ung)
18. Alfredo Di Stefano (arg)
19. Johan Cruyff (hol)
Names highlighted are just my favourite players