Gianluigi Buffon, a great goalkeeper from Italy who played professionally for 28 years, has announced his retirement from the game.
On August 1, 2023, Italian writer and transfer specialist Fabrizio Romano stated via Twitter that Gianluigi Buffon would be making his retirement official soon.
Buffon began his professional career in 1995 at Parma of the Italian Serie A. He then joined Juventus in 2001 for a then-record transfer fee of €52 million for a goalkeeper.
In each of his first two seasons at Juventus, the 45-year-old Italian goalkeeper won the Serie A championship, solidifying his status as one of the best players in the world in his position.
During his first season at Juventus, Buffon set a record by winning nine Serie A championships, four Coppa Italias, and five Supercoppa Italiana. He was the first goalkeeper to win the Serie A Footballer of the Year award in addition to winning the award for goalkeeper of the Year a record twelve times.
Since taking over as captain in 2010, Buffon has represented Italy in the most games. With 176 international appearances, he has earned the third-most caps in all of Europe, the most for Italy’s national team, and the most for a goalie.
Buffon played in five FIFA World Cup competitions after making his international debut in 1997 (in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014).
