Omar Caetano: a starter for Peñarol for ~14 years, a career that would be the envy of most fullbacks - 9 league titles, 2 Copa Libertadores, 2 Intercontinental Cups, 1x Intercontinental Cup Winners Cup, 3x Libertadores runner-up (always requiring a third final), 1x Copa América winner.
Roberto Matosas: a starter for Peñarol over the first half of the 60s, winning five league titles, 2x Copa Libertadores, 1x Intercontinental Cup and resulting in River buying him for what was at the time a record fee (living up to their nick as "the Millionaires").
Mauro Ramos: an interesting one for this theme, Mauro had won four league titles with São Paulo and was a regular fixture in the Brazilian NT since winning the Copa América in 1949. However, he was a consistently a sub. Too classy, didn't impose himself, and so on. It was actually Bela Guttman that talked him into accepting and believing he was actually the best centreback Brazil had. He coaxed him to grow a pair and come forth as the defensive leader and organiser he could be, which was one of the main motivations in him moving to Santos, where he became the rock their defence revolved around and delivering five Campeonato Paulistas over the course of six years, 2x Copa Libertadores, 2x Intercontinental Cup and, by 1962, making him the obvious choice to captain Brazil at the World Cup, which they won.
Cesare Maldini: a permanent fixture at Mila for a decade, winning four Serie A titles and one European Cup. Made the FIFA All-Star Team at Chile 1962.
Yes, Joga's defence is more proven playing together as a unit, which shouldn't be taken lightly. But then, they face Puskas and Eusebio with Zizinho/Boszik/Liedholm teeing them up. That said, quality certainly isn't lacking here and the coherence/compatibility across these four is spot on.