Gianluigi Buffon, born 28 January 1978, also known as Gigi Buffon, 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 was born in Carrara, Tuscany, although he is of Friulian origin, from Latisana. He was born into a sporting family: his mother Maria Stella Masocco was three times Italian champion in the shot put and discus throw, his uncle Dante Masocco was a basketball player who played in the Serie A1, his father Adriano also practiced shot put, and his elder sisters Guendalina and Veronica were professional volleyball players. He is a relative of Lorenzo Buffon, goalkeeper for Milan, Genoa, Inter, Fiorentina, and the Italian national team: Lorenzo is Gianluigi’s second cousin twice removed.
In June 2017, he received honorary citizenship from the city of Latisana.
Parma
1991–1994: Youth career and early professional career
Gianluigi Buffon began his career with the Parma youth system in 1991 at the age of 13. He initially played in several outfield positions before switching to goalkeeper due to injuries to the team’s other goalkeepers. He quickly adapted to the role and was promoted to first-choice goalkeeper for the youth team within two weeks.
After being called up to train with the senior squad in 1994, Buffon made his Serie A debut for Parma in 1995 at the age of 17. He kept a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw against Milan. Buffon went on to make seven more first-team appearances that season as well as one appearance in the Coppa Italia. Parma finished in sixth place in Serie A that season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup.
During his time at Parma, Buffon trained under goalkeeping coach Villiam Vecchi, whom he credits with much of his confidence, development, and success.
1996–2001: Making the starting eleven, early success and recognition
Gianluigi Buffon began his professional career with Parma in 1995. He quickly became the club’s starting goalkeeper and helped them win the UEFA Cup in 1999. He was also named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year in 1999 and 2001.
In 2001, Buffon was sold to Juventus for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper. He has since gone on to win 9 Serie A titles, 6 Coppa Italia titles, and 5 Supercoppa Italiana titles with Juventus. He has also been named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year 5 times.
Buffon is considered one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is known for his athleticism, agility, and shot-stopping ability. He is also a good leader and has captained Juventus for many years.
Juventus
2001–2004: Initial dominance
Buffon joined Juventus in 2001 for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper. He quickly established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, helping Juventus to win the Serie A title in his first season with the club.
In 2002–03, Buffon helped Juventus to reach the UEFA Champions League Final, where they lost to Milan on penalties. However, he was named the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year and the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper.
Buffon continued to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world in the following seasons, winning the Serie A title again in 2004–05 and being named the IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper for the third time in 2006.
In 2006, Juventus were involved in a match-fixing scandal and were relegated to Serie B. Buffon remained with the club and helped them to win promotion back to Serie A in his first season.
Since then, Buffon has continued to be one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He has won the Serie A title five more times, the Coppa Italia four times, and the Supercoppa Italiana five times. He has also been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year six times.
Buffon is considered by many to be one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is known for his athleticism, agility, and shot-stopping ability. He is also a good leader and has captained Juventus for many years.
2004–2006: Calciopoli and relegation
In 2004, Buffon won his third Serie A title in four years with Juventus. He was also named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the fifth time in his career. However, he suffered a dislocated shoulder in August 2005 and was sidelined for several months. He returned to the Juventus starting line-up in November, but injury again sidelined him until January. He recovered in time to help Juventus win their second consecutive Scudetto and his fourth overall.
In 2006, Buffon was named IFFHS World’s Best Goalkeeper for the third time in his career and Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the sixth time. He was also placed second in the 2006 Ballon d’Or and eighth in the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. However, he was also accused of participating in illegal betting on Serie A matches. He was cleared of all charges by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on 27 June 2007.
Following Juventus’ punishment in the Calciopoli scandal, in which their two most recent Serie A titles were stripped and the squad was relegated to Serie B and penalized with a point deduction, rumors spread that Buffon would be placed on the transfer market. However, he elected to remain with Juventus, despite the team’s relegation.
2006–2011: Serie B champions, Serie A return, and post-Calciopoli struggles
In the 2006–07 season, Buffon played in Serie B for Juventus, who had been relegated due to their involvement in the Calciopoli scandal. He helped the team win the Serie B title and earn promotion back to Serie A.
In the 2007–08 season, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the seventh time in his career. He also helped Juventus to a third-place finish in Serie A and qualification for the Champions League.
In the 2008–09 season, Buffon was again sidelined by injuries. However, he returned to the team in January and helped Juventus finish the season in second place in Serie A.
In the 2009–10 season, Juventus suffered a dip in form and finished seventh in Serie A. Buffon was also sidelined for much of the season due to injuries.
In the 2010–11 season, Buffon did not play for the first half of the season due to injury. He returned to the team in January, but Juventus were unable to qualify for Europe.
2011–2014: New era of dominance in Serie A
In the 2011–12 season, Buffon won his first Scudetto since the Calciopoli scandal. He also kept a league record of 21 clean sheets and only conceded 16 goals, making him the European team with the second-best defense that season. Buffon was included in the 2011–12 Serie A Team of the Year and was nominated for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d’Or.
In the 2012–13 season, Buffon retained his Serie A title and kept the best defense in Serie A, as he conceded just 19 goals. Juventus also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Buffon was awarded the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the eighth time in his career.
In the 2013–14 season, Buffon won his third consecutive Serie A title and helped Juventus to an Italian record of 102 points. He was also chosen as part of the 2013–14 Europa League Team of the Season.
Buffon’s performances in these seasons led to him being named the second-best goalkeeper in the world by IFFHS in 2013 and 2014.
2014–15: Second Champions League Final and first Coppa Italia with Juventus
During the summer of 2014, manager Antonio Conte left Juventus to take charge of the Italy national team, and Massimiliano Allegri became his replacement. Buffon had an impressive season with Juventus, keeping several clean sheets and setting records for consecutive minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A. He was nominated for various awards, including the FIFPro World XI and UEFA Team of the Year.
In December 2014, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the ninth time and was elected to the 2014 Serie A Team of the Year. However, Juventus lost the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana to Napoli in a penalty shoot-out.
Buffon continued to excel in the following season, surpassing several records for minutes played and appearances in Serie A for Juventus. He also became the goalkeeper with the fourth-highest number of clean sheets in Champions League history.
In May 2015, Buffon won his fourth consecutive Serie A title with Juventus and led the team to the UEFA Champions League final, where they were defeated by Barcelona. Buffon was named to the UEFA Champions League Team of the Season for his outstanding performances throughout the tournament.
In July 2015, Buffon was nominated for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, and his save on Dani Alves in the Champions League final was nominated for the UEFA Save of the Season Award.
2015–16: Fifth consecutive Scudetto and record Serie A unbeaten streak
In the 2015-2016 season, Buffon continued to impress with Juventus, setting several records and achieving remarkable milestones. He won the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana, his record sixth title with Juventus. Buffon’s outstanding performances led to him being nominated for various awards, including the UEFA Best Player in Europe and the FIFPro World XI.
Buffon achieved a record-breaking unbeaten streak in Serie A, going 974 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal. He also saved 13 penalties in Serie A, demonstrating his exceptional goalkeeping skills. Buffon’s leadership and motivation were praised as he helped Juventus secure their fifth consecutive Serie A title.
Buffon’s remarkable season led to him being named the Juventus Player of the Month and the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the tenth time in his career. He also extended his contract with Juventus until the end of the 2017-2018 season.
Buffon’s performances earned him a place on the shortlist for the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, finishing sixth overall.
2016–17: Record sixth straight Scudetto and third Champions League Final
In the 2016-2017 season, Buffon continued to excel with Juventus, achieving several milestones and receiving numerous accolades. He became the first goalkeeper to win the Golden Foot Award and was included in the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or and The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award.
Buffon made his 100th Champions League appearance and became the second Italian player to achieve this milestone with a single club. He also set records for the most appearances and minutes played in Serie A for Juventus. Buffon’s exceptional performances earned him the Juventus Player of the Month Award and the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the 11th time in his career.
In the Champions League, Buffon achieved a personal best of 600 minutes without conceding a goal, and Juventus kept six consecutive clean sheets in the tournament, setting a club record. However, the team was defeated in the Champions League final by Real Madrid.
Buffon won the Coppa Italia and the Serie A title with Juventus, making him one of the players with the most Italian league title victories. He was named in the UEFA Champions League squad of the season and was recognized as the best goalkeeper in the tournament.
2017–2018: Final season of the first spell with Juventus and seventh consecutive Scudetto
In the 2017-2018 season, Buffon continued to impress with Juventus and received several accolades. He was named one of the finalists for the Goalkeeper of the 2016-17 UEFA Champions League season award and the 2017 UEFA Best Player of the Year Award. Buffon also won the inaugural 2017 Best FIFA Goalkeeper award and the Serie A Footballer of the Year award, becoming the first goalkeeper to receive this honor.
Buffon achieved several milestones, including his 500th appearance with Juventus in both Serie A and Serie B matches and his 300th clean sheet with the club. He played a crucial role in helping Juventus secure their seventh straight Scudetto title and a record ninth Serie A title in his career.
After 17 seasons with Juventus, Buffon announced that he would leave the club at the end of the season. He played his final match for Juventus on 19 May 2018, receiving a standing ovation from the fans. Buffon bid farewell to the club with a heartfelt post on Twitter, expressing his gratitude for his time with the team.
Paris Saint-Germain
In the 2018-2019 season, Buffon signed a one-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) with the option for a second year. He made his competitive debut for PSG in the 2018 Trophée des Champions, keeping a clean sheet in a 4-0 win against Monaco. Buffon played a rotational role with Alphonse Areola during the season.
Buffon made his Champions League debut for PSG at the age of 40 years and 282 days, becoming the second-oldest player to do so. He also kept his 50th Champions League clean sheet, becoming the third goalkeeper to reach this milestone. However, Buffon came under criticism for an error in a Champions League match against Manchester United, leading to a loss for PSG.
PSG won the Ligue 1 title, and Buffon won his tenth league title of his career, the most of any Italian player. He later confirmed that he was leaving the club after one season.
Return to Juventus
2019–2021: record-breaking appearances
In 2019, Buffon returned to Juventus, signing a one-year contract. He chose to wear the number 77 shirt. Buffon broke Paolo Maldini’s record as the Italian player with the most career club appearances. He also surpassed Alessandro Del Piero as the player with the most league appearances for Juventus. Buffon had a memorable performance in the Coppa Italia semifinals against Milan, making nine saves. However, Juventus lost in the final to Napoli on penalties.
In the 2020-2021 season, Buffon continued to break records, becoming the most capped player in Europe’s top five leagues and the first goalkeeper to record a Champions League clean sheet in four different decades. He announced that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season. Buffon made his final appearance for Juventus in the 2021 Coppa Italia Final, where he lifted the title, the sixth of his career.
Return to Parma and retirement
On 17 June 2021, after days of speculation following his departure from Juventus, newly-relegated Parma announced the return of Buffon through a short video posted on the club’s official Twitter account. Upon winning the Coppa Italia in his last season at Juventus, many expected that it was going to be the end of his career. Instead, he announced that he was going to join his boyhood club and this marked 20 years since he left Parma for Juventus in 2001. On 20 August 2021, Buffon made his first appearance, conceding a late equalizer in a 2–2 away draw against Frosinone.
On 5 February 2022, following a 0–0 away draw against Benevento in Serie B, Buffon became the first goalkeeper ever in men’s association football to keep 500 clean sheets (322 with Juventus, 92 with Parma, 9 with PSG and 77 with Italy). On 28 February, Parma announced Buffon’s contract extension until 2024, which would have kept him playing until the age of 46.
International career
Youth career, early call-ups, and Euro 2000 qualification
Buffon represented Italy at all youth levels and won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 1996. He made his senior team debut in 1997, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to feature for Italy post-World War II. He was part of the Italian squad for the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, reaching the final in both tournaments but finishing as runners-up.
World Cup and European Championship debut
Francesco Toldo’s impressive performances at Euro 2000 meant that he retained his place in the first team for the beginning of Italy’s 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign. In spite of heavy competition from Toldo, Buffon regained the starting goalkeeping spot for the fourth match of the qualification series, away to Romania, and was the starting goalkeeper for the remaining four matches under Giovanni Trapattoni as Italy qualified with an unbeaten record.
Buffon played every minute of Italy’s 2002 World Cup campaign, keeping a clean sheet in the opening match against Ecuador, and saving a controversial penalty against co-hosts South Korea in the round of 16, which was not enough to stop the under-performing side from being eliminated by a golden goal in extra time. He also featured in every match at Euro 2004, keeping a clean sheet in his nation’s opening 0–0 draw against Denmark, although Italy, despite not losing a match, once again underperformed, and was eliminated in the first round on direct encounters following a three-way, five-point tie with Sweden and Denmark.
2006 World Cup champion
Buffon was the first-choice goalkeeper for Italy during the 2006 World Cup. He had an outstanding tournament, conceding only two goals in seven matches and keeping five clean sheets. Italy won the World Cup, with Buffon making important saves, including one against Zinedine Zidane in the final. He was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament and received the Yashin Award. Buffon’s performances earned him second place in the 2006 Ballon d’Or and a spot in the FIFPro World XI and UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, Nick Miller of ESPN FC named Buffon’s save against Lukas Podolski in Italy’s 2–0 victory against hosts Germany in the semi-finals as one of the greatest in World Cup history, placing it at number nine in his list of “World Cup’s greatest ever saves” In 2019, Diario AS placed the latter save at number eight in their collection of “The 10 greatest saves of all time”.
Post-World Cup victory
Buffon served as the captain of the Italian national team during Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup. He made important saves, including a penalty save, during Euro 2008, but Italy was eliminated in the quarter-finals. In the 2010 World Cup, Buffon had to be substituted in the first match due to an injury and did not play for the rest of the tournament. Italy had a disappointing campaign and was eliminated in the group stage.
Italy captain and Euro 2012 runner-up
Buffon became the captain of the Italian national team after Fabio Cannavaro’s retirement. He set records for most minutes without conceding a goal in European Championship qualifying matches and surpassed Dino Zoff’s number of caps for Italy. Buffon led Italy to qualify for Euro 2012 undefeated and was named captain of the tournament. He performed well in the tournament, making important saves and leading Italy to the final, where they were defeated by Spain. Buffon was elected to the Team of the Tournament for his performances.
2014 World Cup qualifying and 2013 Confederations Cup
Buffon equaled Paolo Maldini’s record for most caps for the Italian national team and saved a penalty in a World Cup qualifying match against Malta. He played as captain in every match of the 2013 Confederations Cup, saving three penalties in the third-place match against Uruguay. Buffon became the record appearance holder for Italy, surpassing Fabio Cannavaro, and received the Pallone Azzurro award for the best player of the year for the national team in 2013.
On 12 May, Buffon was named in Italy’s 31-man preliminary World Cup squad by Cesare Prandelli, and on 31 May, he was named the starting goalkeeper and captain in the final squad. Italy was placed in Group D, in the so-called “group of death”, or “group of champions”, with Costa Rica, England, and Uruguay. Buffon became the third player to be part of five World Cup squads, tying the records held by Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal and German footballer Lothar Matthäus.[393] Due to an ankle injury suffered in training, Buffon was not selected to start in Italy’s first match of the World Cup against England on 14 June 2014; he was replaced by Salvatore Sirigu. Andrea Pirlo captained the team in his absence, as Italy won the match 2–1.
In Italy’s next group match, which ended in a 1–0 loss to Costa Rica, he captained his national side for the first time at a World Cup, the fourth World Cup in which he appeared. In Italy’s final group game against Uruguay, Buffon saved shots from Luis Suárez and Nicolás Lodeiro, as Italy were reduced to ten men following Claudio Marchisio’s controversial red card. Buffon was eventually beaten in the 81st minute by a Diego Godín header, moments after Luis Suárez’s bite on Giorgio Chiellini. Buffon was voted Man of the Match for his performance. Italy finished in third place in their group and was eliminated in the group stage for a second consecutive World Cup.
Euro 2016
Buffon captained Italy in Euro 2016 and kept clean sheets in the group-stage matches against Belgium and Sweden. He saved a crucial penalty against Spain in the round of 16 and another penalty in the shoot-out against Germany in the quarter-finals. Italy was eliminated in the quarter-finals, and Buffon’s save against Mario Gómez was nominated for the UEFA Save of the Season Award.
2018 World Cup qualifying campaign, retirement, and brief return
Buffon continued to play for Italy after the 2016 Euro and made several record-breaking appearances for the national team. He announced his retirement from international football after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. However, he made a brief return to the national team for friendlies in March 2018 and became the record appearance holder as Italy captain. He later confirmed that he would not return to the national team for future friendlies.
Buffon is widely regarded by players, pundits, and managers as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time,[nb 9] and by some in the sport as the greatest ever.[nb 10] In the introduction of his 2008 autobiography, Numero 1 (Number 1), Roberto Perrone describes him as: “the greatest goalkeeper in the world, one of the four or five that will always live on in the memory of world football”. In 2012, he was voted the 20th best footballer in the world by The Guardian, finishing as the second-highest-ranked goalkeeper, behind Iker Casillas. Buffon was awarded the Nereo Rocco Prize on 2 September 2014, which is given to a footballer in recognition of their career. In 2015, France Football rated him as one of the ten best footballers in the world over the age of 36. In 2016, he was named the greatest goalkeeper in history by the same magazine. Later that year, he was also voted the UEFA Champions League’s greatest goalkeeper of all time in an official UEFA online Twitter poll. In 2015, UEFA ranked Buffon as the third-best player ever not to have won the Champions League, while in 2019, FourFourTwo placed Buffon at number two behind only Ronaldo in their list of “The 25 best players never to win the Champions League”. In May 2020, Sky Sports ranked him as the fourth-best player ever to have not won the Champions League or European Cup, and he was also voted the “Greatest Goalkeeper Ever” by users of Eurosport.com.
On 2 August 2023, at the age of 45 and after a 28-year playing career, Buffon announced his retirement from professional football.
He said: “That’s all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together.”
That’s all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything.