Maxwell

Maxwell Scherrer Cabelino Andrade, a Brazilian left-back born on 27 August 1981, retired from professional football as the most decorated active player in Europe, having won 31 official trophies. He now works as assistant sporting director at Paris Saint-Germain.

Maxwell began his career at Cruzeiro before moving to Ajax in 2001. His standout season came in 2003–04, when he missed only three league games and was named Dutch Footballer of the Year. A serious injury in April 2005 ended his time at Ajax. He joined Inter Milan in 2006 via a brief, non-playing stint at Empoli, and impressed in Serie A, notably scoring a solo goal against Parma that was voted Inter’s thunder goal of the season. He later shifted to left midfield, winning two Scudetti. In 2009, Barcelona signed him for €4.5 million plus add-ons. He helped the club win La Liga and assisted Zlatan Ibrahimović in the 2010 Supercopa de España. In January 2012, he moved to Paris Saint-Germain for €3.5 million, later extending his contract until 2015. He scored the only goal in a 2015 Coupe de la Ligue semi-final against Lille.

Internationally, Maxwell played for Brazil’s under-23s in the 2004 Pre-Olympic Tournament. He received senior call-ups in 2004 but did not debut until August 2013, as a substitute in a friendly loss to Switzerland. He was selected for Brazil’s 2014 World Cup squad and made his only tournament appearance in the third-place play-off, a 3–0 defeat to the Netherlands. He retired from international football in October 2014.

After retiring, Maxwell became assistant sporting director at PSG under Antero Henrique. Known as a technical, attacking left-back, he was consistent and versatile, capable of playing as a left-winger. He was solid defensively, elegant on the ball, and reliable in possession, often pushing forward to deliver crosses.