Buffon Appearance Record

Lore & Background

Buffon began his professional career at Parma, making his Serie A debut in 1995. He joined Juventus in 2001 for a world record fee for a goalkeeper of €52.9 million. His first spell at Juventus lasted 17 years, from 2001 to 2018, during which he won a record nine Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias, and five Supercoppa Italianas. After a season at Paris Saint-Germain in 2018, he returned to Juventus for the 2019–20 season, serving primarily as a back-up and breaking Paolo Maldini's record of 647 Serie A appearances. He won a record tenth top flight title with Juventus that season. In June 2021, he returned to Parma, who were in Serie B, and retired from football in 2023 at age 45.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at Allianz hummed as the final whistle approached in May 2018. The crowd stood, a sea of black and white scarves waving in unison. Gianluigi walked to the center circle, hands on hips, breathing hard after ninety minutes of intense pressure. He looked up at the stands where banners read 'Thank You Gigi.' It was not just a game; it was a funeral for an era. The roar that greeted him was not for a goal, but for a lifetime of service.

Reader's Guide

Buffon is the most capped goalkeeper of all time and the most capped player in Italy national team history, with 176 international caps. He played in five FIFA World Cups (1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014), starting in the 2006 winning squad and winning the Golden Glove. He also represented Italy at four European Championships, the 1996 Olympics, and two FIFA Confederations Cups. He retired from international football in 2017 after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, briefly reversed the decision for friendlies in 2018, and officially retired in May 2018.

Did You Know?

• Buffon 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 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.
• Buffon was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players in 2004.
• He won the inaugural The Best FIFA Goalkeeper award in 2017.
• Buffon is the second cousin twice removed of football goalkeeper Lorenzo Buffon.