Gianluigi Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanluˈiːdʒi bufˈfɔn, - bufˈfon]; born 28 January 1978) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is one of the few recorded players to have made over 1,100 professional career appearances and holds the record for the most appearances in Serie A.

Buffon made his Serie A debut at Parma in 1995, helping Parma win the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana in 1999. After joining Juventus in 2001, for the world record fee for a goalkeeper of €52.9 million at the time, Buffon won Serie A titles in both his first two seasons at the club. In his first spell at Juventus spanning 17 years, he won a record nine Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias, and five Supercoppa Italianas. He was the first goalkeeper to win the Serie A Footballer of the Year award, and was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record twelve times. After reaching the 2015 and 2017 UEFA Champions League finals, Buffon was named to the Champions League Squad of the Season on both occasions, and won the inaugural The Best FIFA Goalkeeper award in the latter year. Buffon signed with French club Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 40 in 2018, where he was used in a rotational role with Alphonse Areola; he won the Trophée des Champions and Ligue 1 title in his only season with the team, before returning to Juventus the following year. During the 2019–20 season, Buffon served primarily as a back-up to Wojciech Szczęsny, but still managed to break Paolo Maldini's record of 647 appearances in Serie A, as he won a record tenth top flight title with the club. The following season he continued to serve as a back-up, but started in the Coppa Italia, winning his record sixth title. In June 2021, Buffon returned to his boyhood club Parma, who had been relegated to Serie B for that season, before announcing his retirement from football in 2023 at the age of 45.

With 176 international caps, Buffon is the most capped goalkeeper of all time, the most capped player in the history of the Italy national team, and the fourth-most capped European international player ever. Buffon also holds the record for most appearances for Italy as captain after he inherited the armband in 2010. Buffon was called up for a record of five FIFA World Cup tournaments (in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014) after making his debut in 1997; he was an unused substitute in the 1998 edition. He was the starting goalkeeper of the squad that won the 2006 tournament, being awarded the Golden Glove as the competition's best goalkeeper. He also represented Italy at four European Championships, at the 1996 Olympics, and at two FIFA Confederations Cups, winning a bronze medal in the 2013 edition of the tournament. Following his performances during the 2006 World Cup, where he kept a record five clean sheets, Buffon won the Yashin Award and was elected to the Team of the Tournament, an honour he also received from UEFA after reaching the quarter-finals of the 2008 and the final of the 2012 European Championship. Buffon retired from international football in 2017, after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup; although he reversed this decision to play in the team's friendlies the following year, he officially confirmed his international retirement in May 2018.

Buffon was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004. He is the only goalkeeper to win the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award, which he achieved after reaching the 2003 Champions League final; he also won UEFA's award for best goalkeeper that year, and was additionally voted into the UEFA Team of the Year on five occasions. Buffon was the runner-up for the Ballon d'Or in 2006, and was elected part of the FIFPro World11 three times. He was the first ever goalkeeper to win the Golden Foot Award, and was also named the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper a record five times, alongside Iker Casillas and Manuel Neuer. He would go on to be named the best goalkeeper of the 21st century, of the past 25 years and of the decade by the same organisation.

Early life

Buffon was born in Carrara, Tuscany. His mother, Maria Stella, was a discus thrower, while his father, Adriano, was a weightlifter of Friulian origin, from Latisana. Following their athletic retirement, they worked as P.E. school teachers. Buffon's two sisters, Veronica and Guendalina, played volleyball for the Italian national volleyball team, while his maternal uncle, Dante Masocco, was a basketball player in Serie A1, who also represented the national team. Buffon is also the second cousin twice removed of football goalkeeper Lorenzo Buffon.

In his youth, Buffon supported a number of clubs, including his hometown club Carrarese, Serie A heavyweight Juventus, and German side Borussia Mönchengladbach. Between the ages of eight and twelve, Buffon turned to supporting Inter Milan due to his admiration for manager Giovanni Trapattoni, along with Italian sides Pescara, Como, Avellino, and Campobasso, before finally settling with Genoa. He was a member of the ultras of Carrarese, specifically the "Commando Ultrà Indian Tips", and has the group's name printed on his goalkeeping gloves.

In 2025, Buffon revealed Blaž Slišković as his first footballing idol during the latter's first stint at Pescara.

Club career

Parma

1991–1994: youth career and early professional career

Buffon played youth football as a midfielder with La Spezia–based amateur club U.S.D. Canaletto Sepor, before returning to Carrara to play for Perticata, then Bonascola. Despite offers from Bologna and Milan, Buffon began his career with the Parma youth system in 1991, as the team's coach was struck by his physical qualities.At the youth academy, he played in several out-field positions, especially as a midfielder, before switching to goalkeeper. His idol Thomas N'Kono inspired this change of position due to his goalkeeping for Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup; when both of the Parma youth team's keepers suddenly suffered injuries, Buffon was called upon due to his interest, height and physical attributes. He quickly adapted to this role, and within two weeks he had been promoted to first keeper of the Parma youth team.

After a call-up to train with the first team during the summer of 1994, Buffon was promoted to the senior squad in 1995, and at the age of 17 years, 295 days, made his Serie A debut for Parma under Nevio Scala on 19 November 1995. Buffon made seven more first team appearances that season and one appearance in the Coppa Italia, making his debut in the competition. At Parma, he trained under goalkeeping coach Villiam Vecchi.

1996–2001: making the starting eleven, early success and recognition

In the 1996–97 Serie A season, Buffon was named as the starting goalkeeper for Parma. He conceded 17 goals in 27 appearances, and his performances gained attention in Italy. Parma were eliminated in the first round of the UEFA Cup, where Buffon made his European debut in a 2–0 defeat to Portuguese club Vitória de Guimarães on 24 September 1996. In the 1997–98 season, Parma finished in fifth place in Serie A and reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals. Buffon debuted in the UEFA Champions League that season. Buffon acquired his nickname "Superman" during the season when he stopped a penalty by Inter striker Ronaldo. He celebrated the save by revealing a Superman T-shirt underneath his jersey; the nickname was also a reference to Buffon's athleticism, agility and aerial ability.

In his fourth season with the club, Buffon won his first European trophy, the UEFA Cup. He also won the Coppa Italia with Parma that season. Buffon's performances that season earned him his first Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award and the Bravo Award. He placed fifth in the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper rankings, and received his first Ballon d'Or nomination. In the following season, he won his first Supercoppa Italiana title against Serie A champions Milan, and Parma finished fourth in Serie A once again, tied with Inter for the final remaining Champions League spot. Parma lost 3–1 to Inter in the European playoff match. Buffon helped lead Parma to another Coppa Italia final in the 2000–01 season, but were defeated by Fiorentina. Parma also finished the season in fourth place for the third consecutive year, which allowed them to go through to the Champions League play-off round. Buffon was voted Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the second time in his career, and also placed third in the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award.

For the 2000–01 season, Buffon's initial decision to change from his traditional number 1 shirt to the number 88 shirt was criticised in the press due to its supposed neo-Nazi connotations, Buffon denied any knowledge of the association, stating that 88 represented "four balls", which are symbols of the character and attributes of a person. He stated that they were meant to signify his need for these attributes after his injury prior to Euro 2000, and that they also represented his "rebirth". He subsequently offered to change numbers, choosing the squad number 77 instead.