Gianluigi Buffon

At 46 years old, Gianluigi Buffon has this physical status:

Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, born 28 January 1978, is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus.

He is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of all time by players, pundits, and administrators, as one of the best goalkeepers of all time, as well as some of the best ever.

During the 2015–16 season, Buffon set the record for the longest streak without conceding a single point in Serie A history: he went unbeaten for 974 minutes in a row, while others went unbeaten for 974 consecutive minutes, totaling the most clean sheets (10) during that span.

Buffon also holds the most clean sheets in Serie A, as well as with the Italy national team.

He is one of the few active players to have made over 1,000 career appearances.

Buffon's professional career began with Parma in 1995, where he made his Serie A debut.

Early life

Buffon was born in Carrara, Tuscany, although he is of Friulian origins from Latisana. He was born into a sports family: Maria Stella Masocco was a three-time Italian champion in shot put and discus throw, his uncle Dante Masocco was an Italian basketball player, and his elder sisters Guendalina and Veronica were also pros volleyball players. Lorenzo is a cousin of Gianluigi's grandfather, Lorenzo Buffon, goalkeeper for Milan, Genoa, Inter, Fiorentina, and the Italian national team's Lorenzo Buffon.

He received honorary citizenship from the city of Latisana in June 2017.

Source

Club career

Despite offers from Bologna and Milan, Buffon began his career with the Parma youth system in 1991, when he was 13 years old. He began playing in various out-field positions, in particular as a midfielder, before transferring to his new position of goalkeeper during his time in the youth academy. Thomas N'Kono, his idol, influenced this change of position after his outstanding goalkeeping performances for Cameroon at the 1990 World Cup in Italy; as a result, Buffon was called on due to his height, height, and physical attributes. He quickly adjusted to his position, and within two weeks, he was promoted to first keeper of the Parma youth team. Ermes Fulgoni, the academy's goalkeeping coach, will soon be a mentor to the aspiring goalkeeper.

Buffon was first called up to train with the first squad in 1994, and he made his Serie A debut for Parma under Nevio Scala, keeping a clean sheet in a 0–0 home draw against eventual Serie A Champions Milan on November 19, 1995. Throughout the match, Buffon made some crucial saves against Ballon d'Or winners Roberto Baggio and George Weah, as well as Marco Simone. Buffon made seven more first team appearances that season as well as one appearance in the Coppa Italia, his first appearance in the competition, as Parma was eliminated in the second round. Parma finished in sixth place in Serie A this season, qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Villiam Vecchi, a goalkeeper coach at Parma, helped him with a lot of his confidence, growth, and success.

Buffon was named as the starting goalkeeper in the 1996-97 season, his second full season with the club, ahead of Luca Bucci and Alessandro Nista. Parma finished second in Serie A, behind Juventus, in qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in 1996–97. In 27 appearances, Buffon conceded 17 goals, and his consistent results in Italy attracted renewed notice. Buffon made his European debut in a 2–0 loss to Portuguese club Vitória de Guimares on September 24, 1996, aged 18 years, 240 days, and was again disqualified in the second round of the Coppa Italia.

Parma finished fifth in Serie A and reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals in the 1997–98 season. Buffon made his debut in the UEFA Champions League this season on August 13–1997, his first appearance in the first leg of the second qualifying round, aged 19 years, 246 days; Parma's second qualifying round was defeated by defending champions Borussia Dortmund. Buffon earned his nickname "Masterman" over the course of the season when he stopped a goal by Inter striker and Ballon d'Or holders Ronaldo. Buffon commemorated the victory by wearing a Superman T-shirt, which he was wearing underneath his jacket; the nickname also refers to Buffon's athleticism, agility, and aerial skills.

Buffon claimed his first European trophy, the UEFA Cup, in his fourth season with the club, winning the Coppa Italia final against Marseille, which ended in a 3–0 victory for Parma; he also won the Coppa Italia with the team that season, defeating Fiorentina on away goals. Parma finished fourth in Serie A, which allowed them to progress to the playoff round of the UEFA Champions League, but after losing to Rangers, Parma was relegated to the UEFA Cup. Buffon's good results this year earned him his first Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year Award, as well as the Bravo Award, which is awarded to Europe's best player under the age of 23. He also ranked fifth in the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper rankings, earning his first-ever Ballon d'Or award.

He won his first Supercoppa Italiana title against Serie A champions Milan, and Parma finished fourth in Serie A this season, tied for fourth place in the final remaining Champions League position. In the European playoff match, Parma defeated Inter 3–1 for Parma. In the round of 16 of both the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia, the club was knocked out.

Buffon helped Parma win another Coppa Italia Final, defeating Fiorentina in the 2000-2001 season; the team did not qualify in the UEFA Cup for the third time. Parma finished fourth in the third year in a row, giving them a chance to qualify for the Champions League play-off round. For the second time in his career, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year, and he was also named third in the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award.

Buffon was sold to Juventus for 100 billion lires (€51,645,690) on July 3, 2001 (or €51.956 million, plus other modest costs that could be capitalized) as part of the transfer fee paid by Buffon to Parma for an undisclosed fee (which saw Juventus gain a capital gain of €10 million, i.e. He was listed for equal to or more than €10 million.

On July 3, 2001, Buffon and former Parma teammate Lilian Thuram were traded from Parma to Juventus, and was given the number 1 shirt as the starting goalkeeper, replacing Edwin van der Sar, who was sold to Fulham. Buffon said there had been an initial plan for him to join Roma but they decided Ivan Pelizzoli instead, and although Barcelona talks were ongoing, the boy's father convinced him that he would finally win the Scudetto. This transfer fee broke Buffon Juventus' most expensive purchase ever, a record that was shattered in 2016 by the purchase of Gonzalo Higuayo.

In a 4–0 home win over Venezia, Buffon made his Juventus debut during the 2001–02 Serie A season's opening match, keeping a clean sheet. He remained two more clean sheets until being defeated by Massimo Marazzina in a 3–2 home win over Chievo on the fourth match day. In a 3–2 home victory over Celtic on September 18, he made his Juventus Champions League debut on September 18th. Buffon played in 45 official matches during his first season with Juventus, assisting his team in winning the Serie A title, despite Juventus's disappointing loss of 22 goals in 34 Serie A matches. Juventus also finished runners-up in the Coppa Italia this season, with Buffon's former team Parma; Buffon made only one appearance in the competition. In the second group stage of the UEFA Champions League, Juventus was disqualified. Despite being chastised in the media for some mistakes early in the season, in particular against Chievo, Buffon was named for the UEFA Team of the Year Award at the end of the year, losing to Rüştü Reçber for the third time in his career.

Juventus defeated Parma 2000 in the 2002 Supercoppa Italiana competition, which took place in the first season of 2002 to 2003. Buffon had a good year in general, with 47 appearances in all sports, of which 32 were in Serie A. He helped Juventus advance to the UEFA Champions League Final, but his team lost in a penalty shoot-out to Milan after a 0–0 draw at Old Trafford following extra time. Buffon was able to save two points, but Milan defeated them 3–2. Buffon earned acclaim for surviving after a close header by Filippo Inzaghi in the final during regulation time, which he later described as the most difficult save of his career, and as one of the most stunning in 2014, but not the most beautiful. In the second leg of the semi-finals against defending champions Real Madrid in Turin, Buffon saved a Lus Figo penalty. Juventus qualified to the final by winning 4–3 on aggregate. Juventus won their second consecutive Serie A title of the season, with the best defense yet again as Buffon conceded only 23 goals in 32 appearances. For the fourth time, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year in 2003. He was also the only goalkeeper to win the now defunct UEFA Most Valuable Player or UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award. For the first time, he has been named to the UEFA Best Goalkeeper award and was named to the UEFA Team of the Year. For the first time in his career, he was named the Best Goalkeeper in the IFFHS World. Buffon was also nominated for the 2003 Ballon d'Or at that time, placing in ninth place.

Buffon began the 2003–04 season with a win over Milan on penalties in the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana, with Buffon saving a penalty in the shootout after a 1–1 draw. Juventus was disqualified in the round of 16 of the Champions League this season by Deportivo de La Corua and ended the Serie A season in a disappointing third position, despite being able to reach the Coppa Italia Final. Buffon won by 2–1 away over Olympiacos in the Champions League's group stage on September 30, 2003, his 100th appearance for the team. In March 2004, Pelé named him as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers, but he missed out on the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award, which went to Milan's league-winning goalkeeper Dida. He was again named Goalkeeper for the UEFA Team of the Year and as the Best Goalkeeper for the IFFHS World Championships. In 2004, Buffon received his first FIFA Player of the Year award, finishing in 21st place alongside countryman Paolo Maldini.

Marcello Lippi left Juventus in 2004 to head Italy's national team, and Fabio Capello took over the team. Buffon's third Serie A title in four years with Juventus earned him his third Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the fifth time in his career. Juventus was disqualified in the Champions League's quarterfinals against eventual winners Liverpool, and Buffon was nominated for the UEFA Team of the Year for the fourth year in a row.

During a regular Preseason Trofeo Berlusconi match in August 2005, Buffon collided with Milan midfielder Kaká, requiring surgery for a dislocated shoulder. While Buffon recovered, Milan loaned backup goalkeeper Cristian Abbiati to Juventus as compensation. Buffon returned to the Juventus starting lineup in November, but he was forced to wait until January due to injury. He returned to the starting lineup in January 2006 against Fiorentina in a Coppa Italia match against Fiorentina in order to help Juventus win their second straight Scudetto and their fourth overall. Juventus was once more disqualified in the Champions League's quarter-finals by runners-up Arsenal, and in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, the eventual runners-up Roma was disqualified by away goals. For the third time in his career, Buffon was named IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper and Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the sixth time. Following his fifth straight nomination, he was also listed second in the 2006 Ballon d'Or and eighth in the FIFA World Player of the Year Award, alongside his winning Italy colleague Fabio Cannavaro. In a 2–0 away loss at Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals, Buffon made his 200th appearance for Juventus this season.

Several players, including Buffon, were accused of participating in unlawful betting on Serie A matches on May 12, 2006, including Buffon. Buffon co-operated, allowing himself to be interrogated by Turin magistrates. Despite admitting that he did place bets on sporting events (until rules were enacted in late 2005, prohibiting players from doing so), he has strenuously denied placing bets on Italian football matches. Despite fears that he had jeopardized his chances of playing for Italy in the 2006 World Cup, he was officially named Italy's starting goalkeeper on May 15 and helped Italy win their fourth title. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) cleared Buffon of all charges on 27 June 2007. Following Juventus' appeal in the Calciopoli scandal, in which the squad's two most recent Serie A titles were stripped and relegated to Serie B and fined with a point deduction, rumors have emerged that Buffon will be placed on the transfer market. Despite the team's demise, Buffon opted to remain with Juventus, a move that made him extremely popular with Juventus supporters.

Buffon made his debut in the Italian second division on September 9, 2006, beating Rimini 1-1; later that year, he received his first red card of his career in a 1–1 away draw against AlbinoLeffe. In total, he made 37 appearances in the league over the season. Buffon signed a contract extension with Juventus until 2012 after winning the Serie B championship and earning promotion to Serie A for the 2007–08 season. For the second year in a row, Buffon was named the goalkeeper for the 2007 FIFPro XI and the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper for a record-breaking fourth time.

Buffon was a key player for Juventus in the 2007–08 season, the first back in the top flight, as he helped Juventus to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification. In the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, Juventus lost to runners-up Inter. For the seventh time in his career, Buffon earned 94 saves in 34 league appearances and was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year. For the sixth time in his career since 2003, Buffon was also selected for the 2008 Ballon d'Or Award and the FIFA World Player of the Year Award. During the 2010-season, Buffon began experiencing back pains due to a herniated disc, which would keep him sidelined for the next two seasons. Buffon renewed his deal until 2013, expressing his determination to do everything with the club on March 10, 2008.

Buffon was also sidelined by several injuries in the 2008-09 season. Reserve goalkeeper Alexander Manninger stayed where the sticks were from September to January, receiving praise for his deputizing. Buffon was seen as dissatisfied with the team's continuing injuries, Manninger's appearances, and Juventus' poor form towards the end of the season (although Buffon was seen despondent when the team lost to both Lecce and Atalanta), and there were further rumors that the club was dissatisfied and wanted to part ways with the team. He admitted that he was dissatisfied with the latest findings, but that he had no intention of leaving. Following a meeting with the club's chief, he was assured of the club's future and signed a contract extension to 2013. Buffon and Juventus ended the season on a high note, winning two games and finishing in second place behind Internazionale. They were knocked out of the Coppa Italia semi-finals by Lazio and the Champions League, the defending champions of the Coppa Italia tournament, and Chelsea dropped them out of the tournament by a score of 16 by Chelsea. In 2009, Buffon was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year for the sixth straight season since being nominated in 2004. In a 3–3 home draw against Chievo in 2009, Buffon made his 300th appearance for Juventus.

Buffon and Juventus both started the 2009–10 season strong, but the squad suffered a drastic drop in form as a result of being booted from the Champions League and finishing third in their division. They were then disqualified in the Europa League's Round of 16 against Fulham. Juventus was disqualified in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia to eventual champions Inter and ended the Serie A season in a disappointing seventh position, only qualifying for the 2010–11 Europa League through the playoff round. Due to several recurring injuries, Buffon was often out of action that season. By the Institute of British In 2010, Buffon was named goalkeeper of the decade for the tenth time in history.

Since recovering from an injury he sustained to his sciatic nerve during the 2010 World Cup, Buffon did not play for the first half of the 2010–11 season, and Marco Storari replaced him. Juventus was knocked out of the Europa League group stage, the Coppa Italia in the quarter-finals, and the Serie A season ended in seventh place, failing to qualify for Europe for the first time since the 1990-1991 season.

Juventus found his form in 2011–12, led by former Juventus coach and former club midfielder Antonio Conte, who saw Juventus win numerous important games throughout the season, including stopping a penalty kick from Francesco Totti that aided Juventus's crucial draw against Roma in Rome. Fans of Juventus voted Player of the Month in December 2011 in honor of Buffon's fine form in the first half of the season. In Juventus' victory over Inter Milan over Inter in the Derby d'Italia, the goalkeeper was dubbed "the best goalkeeper in Italy and possibly the World" after the game. Juventus made the season undefeated, winning their first Scudetto after the Calciopoli scandal, and qualifying for the 2012-13 Champions League after a two-year absence. Since winning the 2006 World Cup, Buffon characterized it as his second highest point of his career.

Buffon finished the season with the best defense in Italy after Porto, and led to a solid three-man defensive line under Conte's recently formed 3–5–2 team, with a key team of 21 clean sheets (an average of 0.46 goals per game). Buffon made 81 saves in Serie A this season, and his 82% save percentage was the highest of any goalkeeper in one of Europe's top five major leagues. For his success, Buffon was selected in the 2011–12 Serie A Team of the Year. Juventus reached the Coppa Italia final last season, but Buffon did not participate in this competition.

Buffon lifted his first trophy as the new Juventus captain on August 11, 2012, beating Napoli 4–2 in extra time in the 2012 Supercopa Italiana in Beijing. On August 25, 2012, Buffon sustained a minor injury and missed the first Serie A match of the 2012–13 season against Parma. He returned to the starting lineup for the next match against Udinese on September 2nd, wearing the captain's armband; Juventus defeated the opposition 4–1. Buffon made his 400th appearance for Juventus on September 20th, in Juventus' first Champions League match of the season against defending champions Chelsea; the match ended in a 2–2 away draw. In a 2–0 home win over Chievo on September 22, Buffon got his first clean sheet of the season.

Following his success throughout the year, Buffon was selected for the 2012 FIFA Ballon d'Or and the 2012 UEFA Team of the Year. He obtained his first Champions League clean sheet against Nordsjlland on November 7th, a match in which Juve defeated 4–0 at Juventus Stadium. On Buffon's 100th club appearance in European competitions, he kept clean sheets as Juventus defeated defending champions Chelsea 3–0 at home and Shakhtar Donetsk 1–0 away from home. Juventus dominated their group undefeated, and they advanced to the knockout stages for the first time since 2008–09.

In a 1–0 Coppa Italia win over Cagliari on December 12th, Buffon kept a clean sheet, allowing Juventus to progress to the quarterfinals of the tournament. Juventus defeated Atalanta 3–0 on December 16, giving Juventus the opportunity to reclaim "Serie A Winter Champions" with the best defense in Serie A, having only conceded ten goals in 17 games. This was also Buffon's 20th clean sheet in 2012, the most of any other goalkeeper in Europe. Buffon was voted second in the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper award, behind Iker Casillas, and the same group was named as the century's goalkeeper of the century. Buffon joined Juventus on January 23, 2013, keeping him at the club until 2015. For the eighth time in his career, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award on January 27, 2013. Juventus won the Serie A title and finished the season with the best defense, though Buffon conceded only 19 goals. For the first time, Buffon became the first captain of Serie A. Juventus was disqualified in the Coppa Italia to champions Lazio's semi-finals and Bayern Munich's quarterfinals.

Juventus started the 2013-14 season by defending their Supercoppa Italiana crown at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Juventus defeated Lazio 4–0 for the first time, with Buffon keeping a clean sheet in the tournament for the first time; Buffon was praised for making several saves in the competition. In a 2–0 home victory over Livorno on November 24, Buffon made his 500th appearance in Serie A, keeping a clean sheet. Buffon's ninth clean sheet and ninth of the season on December 6th; as a result, he beat his previous personal record of 568 minutes without conceding a single goal in Serie A, going 640 minutes without being defeated in the Italian League. After going 745 minutes without conceding a single point in Serie A and equaling Luca Marchegiani's sixth unbeaten streak in Serie A history, Buffon was eventually defeated by Maximiliano Moralez in a 4–1 victory over Atalanta. For his appearances throughout the calendar year, Buffon was nominated for the 2013 FIFPro XI and the 2013 Ballon d'Or.

By IFFHS, Buffon was again named the second best goalkeeper in the world in 2013. For December 2013, his accomplishments earned him the Juventus Player of the Month award. In a 1–0 away victory over Genoa on March 16, 2014, Buffon earned his 20th penalty of his career, equalizing Dino Zoff's 476 appearances for Juventus as the club's fifth all-time appearance holder. For the third year in a row, Buffon captured the Serie A title, caping the team to their 30th league title.

Juventus held an Italian-record of 102 points, including a Serie A record of 33 victories; Juventus finished with the best defense of the season yet again. During the Serie A season, Buffon made 89 saves and 18 clean sheets in 33 appearances, losing 19 goals. Juventus was disqualified in the Champions League's group stage, but the team later went on to qualify for the Europa League's semi-finals, losing to Benfica. For his appearances throughout the tournament, Buffon was selected as part of the 2013-14 Europa League Team of the Season. Buffon signed a deal extension on July 1st, which will keep him at the club until 2017.

Antonio Conte, the Italian national team's manager, was moved to Juventus by the summer of 2014, with former Milan manager Massimiliano Allegri taking over as his replacement. Juve opened the 2014-15 season with a 1–0 victory over Chievo, with Buffon maintaining a clean sheet and saving Maxi López in the second half. Buffon defeated Atalanta 3–0, allowing Juventus to keep their fifth straight clean sheet in Serie A on September 27. He was eventually defeated by a Francesco Totti penalty in a 3–2 home win over Roma on October 5th, despite going unbeaten for 616 minutes the season. Buffon went 801 minutes in total without conceding a league goal in the previous season; at the time, this record had only been beaten by Dino Zoff and Sebastiano Rossi. Buffon made his 500th appearance for Juventus on October 29th in a 1–0 home loss to Genoa. Buffon made his 400th League appearance with Juventus (37 of which were in Serie B, and 363 of which were in Serie A), leaving a clean sheet in a 2–0 away victory over Empoli on November 1, 2014. For the tenth time, Buffon was nominated for the 2014 FIFPro World XI. Since being nominated for the award every year since 2005, he is now the only goalkeeper to have been selected. Buffon was also selected for the UEFA Team of the Year last week.

For the ninth time in his career, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year on December 15, 2014, and he was named to the 2014 Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year. Juventus was defeated by Napoli 8–7 on penalties in the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana, after a 2–2 draw after extra time. Despite numerous saves during the game and managed to stop three penalties in the shoot-out, Buffon was unable to save his team from losing the title. In 2014, Buffon came fourth, behind Manuel Neuer, Thibaut Courtois, and Keylor Navas; this was his 15th year in which he had been named as one of the world's top five goalkeepers. Buffon defeated Gaetano Scirea as the Juventus player with the second most minutes played in Serie A on Friday, behind only Giampiero Boniperti. Buffon equalled Scirea as the Juventus player with the third most appearances in Serie A on March 2nd, behind only Boniperti and Del Piero. In a 1–0 away win over Palermo on March 14, he defeated Scirea 378th in Serie A, his 378th appearance with Juventus. Buffon defeated Dida with the fourth-most clean sheets in Champions League history after keeping a clean sheet in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Monaco on April 22nd. Buffon made his 528th appearance for Juventus in all competitions on Sunday, beating Furino as the player with third-most appearances for the club on April 29. Buffon had a clean sheet in a 1–0 away win over Sampdoria on May 2nd, as Juventus lifted their fourth consecutive Serie A title. Buffon earned a man of the match appearance at Real Madrid on May 13th, beating Juventus 1–1 in the second leg of the UEFA Champions League in the second leg, only being defeated by a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty; the result enabled Buffon to advance to his second career Champions League final with Juventus, 12 years after his last appearance. Despite not being active throughout the tournament this season, he claimed his first Coppa Italia title with Juventus on May 20th. Buffon defeated Napoli 3-1 at home on Sunday in Serie A's third home victory for the Turin club, defeating them 3–1 by Barcelona. He was saving a Lorenzo Insigne penalty in his 900th appearance in his career. Buffon made the most saves in the tournament (39), and kept the most clean sheets (6), as well as Danijel Subahi, Manuel Neuer, and Marc-André Stegen. He was selected to the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League Team of the Season for his participation in the tournament.

Buffon was named on the ten-man shortlist for the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award on July 15, 2015. He was also nominated for the UEFA Save of the Season Award for his efforts on Dani Alves in the Champions League final, resulting in a tied third place in the voting.

Juventus defeated Lazio 2–0 in the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana for the seventh time on August 8, with Buffon keeping a clean sheet. This was also Buffon's sixth title and his fifth with Juventus. He came in fourth place in the 2015 UEFA Best Player in Europe Awards, according to the author on August 12th. Fans honored Buffon as the first Juventus Player of the Month's 2015-2016 season in September for a string of consistent performances. In the Champions League group stage, Buffon defeated Alessandro Del Piero in the 73rd minute of Juventus' 0–0 home draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach on October 21, 2015. He made his 100th Champions League appearance in the return group match against Borussia Mönchengladbach on November 3rd, a 1-1 draw. In a 1–0 home win over Milan on November 21, he made his 552nd appearance in the club's second-highest appearance holder in all competitions, behind only Alessandro Del Piero. In a 1–0 home victory over Manchester City on November 25th, Buffon was nominated for the 2015 European Football Team of the Year, as well as making his 100th appearance for Juventus in European Club Competitions. Despite being omitted from the list of candidates for the 2015 FIFA Ballon d'Or, Buffon was included in the 55-player shortlist for the 2015 FIFPro World XI. In a 2–0 away victory over Lazio on December 4, 2015, Buffon made his 400th Serie A appearance with Juventus. On December 14th, Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for his tenth year in his career, and subsequently to the 2015 Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for his appearances during his rookie year. He was named one of the three finalists for the Globe Soccer Player of the Year Award later this month. He came in second second in the 2015 IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award, behind Manuel Neuer, on January 6th.

In a 2–0 victory over Inter, Buffon kept his eighth straight clean sheet in Serie A on February 28, 2016. After going 746 minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A, beating Morgan De Sanctis and Marchegiani, he set a new personal record in the top flight and the outright sixth-best unbeaten streak in the Italian league's history. He extended his unbeaten run by keeping another clean sheet in a 2–0 away victory, equaling Dino Zoff's and Sebastiano Rossi's record of nine consecutive clean sheets in Serie A, extending his league record. His unbeaten streak of 836 minutes without conceding a single point in Serie A history, behind only Zoff and Rossi, and it was also the longest a goalkeeper has gone without conceding a single point since 1993–95 season. In a 1–0 home victory over Sassuolo on March 11, he overtook Zoff in a league record ten consecutive clean sheets, extending his unbeaten streak to 926 minutes without conceding a single point; the last time he conceded a goal was when he was defeated by Antonio Cassano in the 64th minute of a 2–1 away victory over Sampdoria on January 10, 2016. Buffon defeated Rossi by 45 minutes in a 4–1 away victory over Torino on March 20th, beating Gianpiero Combi's Italian league record of 934 minutes without losing a single point; he set a new all-time record of 974 minutes without losing a single one. Andrea Belotti put an end to his goalless streak by defeating him from the penalty spot in the 48th minute of the same match.

Buffon won by 2–1 away over Fiorentina on April 24, his 13th penalty save in Serie A; following Napoli's loss to Roma the next day, Juventus clinched their fifth consecutive Serie A title with three games remaining. Buffon was recognized for his leadership and his role in assisting the team in defeating Sassuolo on October 28, 2015, when the team recovered from 12th place after ten matches to win the championship. Buffon was named Juventus Player of the Month for April 2016 for his key role in assisting Juventus in winning the league title. On May 11, Buffon extended his contract until the end of the 2017–18 season. Buffon had a personal record of 21 clean sheets in a single league season in 2015-16, and was named Player of the Season by Juventus.

In 2016, he finished sixth on the ten-man shortlist for the 2016 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, which he received on July 18th.

Buffon became the first goalkeeper to win the Golden Foot Award on October 11, 2016. Buffon was one of the 2016 Ballon d'Or's top 30 men after his appearances throughout the year; he ranked ninth overall alongside Pepe in the final rankings. Buffon made his 100th Champions League appearance in his fourth Champions League group match of the season on Sunday, drawing him out in qualifying rounds for his 100th appearance. He was selected in the 23-player shortlist for The Best FIFA Men's Player Award in 2016. Buffon earned his 600th Serie A appearance against Chievo on Friday, his fourth player to reach this milestone. Because of his work, he was named the Juventus Player of the Month Award for October 2016. For the ninth time in his career, Buffon was nominated for the UEFA Team of the Year, giving him the most nominations ever, alongside Iker Casillas. Since being selected for the 2016 FIFPro World XI, Buffon was nominated on December 1st, making him the only player alongside Cristiano Ronaldo to have been on the shortlist each year since its inception in 2005. Buffon made his 600th competitive appearance for Juventus in the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana, winning 4–3 to Milan in a penalty shoot-out, but Buffon saved Gianluca Lapadula's first spot kick on December 23. Buffon kicked off the year by placing second in the 2016 IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award, behind Neuer once more.

Buffon was named to the 2016 UEFA Team of the Year on January 5, 2017, becoming the first person to be named to the UEFA Team of the Year; it was also the fourth time he had been nominated to the UEFA Team of the Year. It was revealed on January 9 that Buffon had finished eighth in The 2016 Best FIFA Men's Player Award. Buffon was named Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year for the 11th time on January 30th and selected to the 2016 Serie A Team of the Year. In a 4–1 home win over Palermo on February 17th, Buffon earned his 443rd Serie A appearance for the club, defeating only Del Piero as the club's all-time second best appearance holder in the competition. In the first leg of the club's round of 16 tie against Porto on February 22, he made his 100th Champions League appearance for Juventus in the first leg of the club's round of 16ties against Porto, keeping a clean record in the 2–0 away victory. After playing his 612th appearance in the competition against Totti on March 5th, Buffon tied for third-highest appearance in Serie A on March 5th. In the 66th minute of a 1–0 away win over Sampdoria, Buffon defeated Boniperti as the all-time minute holder for a Juventus player in Serie A. With his 615th Serie A appearance against Napoli, he tied him for the joint second highest appearance holder of all time in Serie A on April 2nd. Buffon made his 100th appearance for Juventus in the first leg of the Champions League, beating Monaco 2–0 on May 3rd, his second appearance in the tournament's first leg, after Paolo Maldini's; Buffon became Italy's second Italian player after Paolo Maldini to make 100 appearances for a single club; behind only Casillas (57), and Van der Sar (50). This was the first time Juventus had managed to maintain six straight clean sheets in a single tournament run in a single season, making it the joint third-most consecutive clean sheets in a single Champions League season. Buffon won by 21-0 over Monaco in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals on May 9th, making him the player with the ninth most appearances in UEFA club matches alongside Jamie Carragher. Juventus defeated Buffon 4-1 on aggregate, his third Champions League final appearance of his career, including his new personal record of 600 minutes without conceding a single goal and placing him fifth on the all-time table, while Juventus' unbeaten run of 690 minutes was the second-longest in the tournament's history.

Juventus defeated Lazio 2–0 on May 17th, becoming the first team to win three consecutive cups in a row. Buffon did not appear because his back-up Neto, the club's starting goalkeeper in the tournament, did not appear. Juventus won their sixth straight Serie A title on Sunday, defeating Crotone 3–0; Juventus won their sixth Serie A crown in a row; and Giuseppe Furino became the player with the most Italian league championship titles ever. Juventus reached their second Champions League Final in three years and Buffon's third final, but Real Madrid, the defending champions, lost 4–1. Buffon became the player with the most Champions League appearances without a Champions League medal, alongside former Juventus teammates Paolo Montero and Alessio Tacchinardi. For the second time, he was selected in the UEFA Champions League squad of the season and as the tournament's best goalkeeper.

Buffon declared on June 12 that the 2017-2018-18 season would likely to be his last with the club. Buffon was selected one of the three finalists for the 2016–17 UEFA Champions League season trophy alongside Manuel Neuer and Jan Oblak on August 4th. Buffon was also ranked as one of the top three candidates for the 2017 UEFA Best Player of the Year Award, alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo on August 15th. Buffon made history by salvaging the first Serie A penalty awarded by VAR in a 3–0 home victory over Cagliari in the club's first league match of the season on August 19th. He was named the best goalkeeper of the 2016-17 Champions League season on August 24th and also placed third in the UEFA Men's Player of the Year Award, receiving 109 votes. For the third time in his career, Buffon was named to the FIFPro World XI for the third time in his career; he was also nominated for the 2017 Best FIFA Players Player Award, finishing in fourth place in the polls on October 23. For the first time in his career, Buffon won the Serie A Footballer of the Year award, as well as the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year award for the first time. He equalled Casillas in the IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper Award for a record fifth time on December 3rd, and he finished fourth in the 2017 Ballon d'Or on December 7. Buffon was ruled out of Juventus' final Champions League group match against Napoli on December 1st, after suffering a calf strain in the previous match that kept him sidelined for almost two months.

For the fifth time, Buffon was named to the 2017 UEFA Team of the Year on January 11th. Buffon returned to action on January 30th, two days after his 40th birthday, keeping a clean sheet and saving a penalty from Alejandro Gómez; this was his first Coppa Italia appearance in over five years, excluding those who were not involved in shootouts and his first in regulation time in the tournament. In a 2–0 away victory over Fiorentina on February 9, he made his 500th appearance in Serie A and Serie B matches. Buffon was able to keep a 3–0 away lead in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Sunday after losing 3–0 at home to Real Madrid on April 3rd; the resulting penalty kick was converted by Cristiano Ronaldo for a final 4–3 aggregate loss. In a 4–0 victory over Milan in the 2018 Coppa Italia Final, the Juventus Clean Sheet was his 300th clean sheet and 383rd at club level; this was Juventus' fourth straight Coppa Italia title; UEFA charged Buffon with UEFA on Tuesday for making post-match remarks regarding referee Oliver. Buffon won his seventh straight Scudetto after a 0–0 draw with Roma in Juventus' penultimate match of the season, while an unused replacement; with this win, he became the first player to win nine Serie A titles since his debut in the league. Buffon revealed in a press conference on Saturday that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season, with one league match remaining. Buffon played his 656th and final match with Juventus on May 19th, the club's last match of the season, against Hellas Verona at home. He started in goal and was later replaced in the 64th minute by debutant Carlo Pinsoglio after receiving a standing ovation in favour of Juventus, which resulted in a 2–1 victory. After Buffon's post-match remarks about referee Oliver in the season's Champions League quarter-finals against Real Madrid, the UEFA Control, Ethics, and Discipplinary Body gave him a three-match suspension for UEFA competition matches "for which he would be otherwise eligible." Buffon said goodbye on Twitter on June 30, the club's last day of his Juventus deal.

Buffon signed a one-year deal with the option of a second year with Paris Saint-Germain on July 6, 2018. In a 4–0 victory over Monaco in the 2018 Trophée des Champions, he made his competitive debut for PSG on August 4th, preserving a clean sheet. In a 3–0 home victory over Caen, Buffon made his Ligue 1 debut on August 12th, keeping a clean sheet. During the 2018–19 season, Thomas Tuchel was used in a rotational position with Alphonse Areola. Buffon made his PSG debut against Napoli in a 1–1 away draw on November 6th, where he was beaten by an Insigne penalty; he turned 42 years old and 65 days old in the competition against Constanta in 2013. Buffon won by a huge margin over Areola on the second half of the Coupe de la Ligue on Sunday, despite a return to Areola. After a shock 2–1 home loss to Guingamp on Monday, PSG was ruled out of the tournament in the next round, during which Buffon remained on the bench.

Buffon kept his 50th Champions League clean sheet in a 2–0 victory over Manchester United on February 12th, becoming only the third goalkeeper to reach this milestone after Iker Casillas (57) and Edwin van der Sar (51). He made his 121st appearance in Champions League, excluding qualifying rounds, during the same match, making him the player with the tenth-most appearances of all time in the tournament. Buffon lost his score by 1-1 percent on the return leg in Paris on March 6, putting Romelu Lukaku to score from the back and sending United back to the lead; following a missed goal by Rashford, Manchester United beat the match 3–1 on away goals, advancing to the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals. Buffon won his tenth league title of his career, beating the most Italian player ever. PSG later lost 6–5 on penalties to Rennes in the 2019 Coupe de France Final after a 2–2 draw after extra time, but Buffon did not appear during the final.

It was announced on June 5 that he was going to leave the team after one season.

After a season away from Juventus, Buffon agreed to a one-year deal with the club on July 4th. On his arrival, he was offered the number one shirt by Wojciech Szczczczczny and captaincy by Giorgio Chiellini, but he turned them down, saying, "I didn't come back to grab something from someone or take it back." Rather, he opted for number 77, the same number he had worn during his last season at Parma before joining Juventus in 2001. In a 2–1 home victory over Verona in Serie A, he made his first appearance since his return to the team on September 21; it was his 902nd appearance at the club, equaling Paolo Maldini's record as the Italian player with the most career club appearances. He defeated Maldini on September 28th, his 903rd appearance in a 2–0 home win over SPAL in Serie A.

In a 2–1 home win over Genoa in Serie A on October 30, Buffon made his 513th league appearance for the club (included Serie B matches) in a 2–1 victory, equivocating Del Piero as the player with the most league appearances for the club. In Juventus' last group match of the season, he kept his 51st Champions League clean sheet (excluding those in the qualifying rounds) for the second time ever, beating Bayer Leverkusen by 2–0, equalling Van der Sar as the goalkeeper with the second-most clean sheets ever in the tournament, behind only Iker Casillas. He made his 700th appearance in Italy on December 15 in a 3–1 victory over Udinese; he also played his 478th Serie A appearance for Juventus, putting him equaling Del Piero as the player with the most appearances in the club's tournament. Buffon made his 479th Serie A appearance for the club on December 18th in a 2–1 away victory over Sampdoria, beating Del Piero's appearance record for the club in the Italian top flight, as well as his 647th overall Serie A appearance, tying Maldini for the most appearances in the competition.

Buffon made nine saves in a 1-1 draw against Milan in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-finals on Sunday. He started the final against Napoli on June 17th, keeping a clean sheet and making a string of injury-time saves to keep the score tied at 0–0; a resultant penalty shoot-out was lost by Buffon, who was unable to save any spot kicks. Buffon signed a new deal with Juventus on June 29th, extending into June 2021. He made his 648th appearance in Serie A on July 4th, defeating Maldini as the most captable player in the top five leagues in Europe, with 665 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain since the 2018-19 season.

Buffon made his first appearance of the 2020-21 season on October 17th, beginning with a 1–1 away draw against Crotone. In a 3–0 away victory over Barcelona in Juventus' final group match of the season, Buffon maintained a clean sheet by saving seven shots, none of which were taken by Messi. In four decades, Buffon was the first goalkeeper to record a Champions League clean sheet. Messi's seven shots on target were also the most unmanned in the Champions League since the 2002-03 edition. Buffon revealed on May 11th, 2021, that he would leave Juventus at the end of the season. Buffon won by 3–1 away over Sassuolo on the following day, becoming the oldest Serie A goalkeeper to do so at the age of 43 years, 103 days old. Domenico Berardi saved him with a penalty. He started in Juventus's 2–1 victory over Attalanta in the 2021 Coppa Italia Final, his sixth appearance for the club, equaling Roberto Mancini as the player with the most title victories.

Following days of rumors following Buffon's withdrawal from Juventus, Parma relegated Parma announced the return of Buffon in a short video shared on the club's official Twitter account on June 17th 2021. Many people expected that his career would come to an end after winning the Coppa Italia in his last season at Juventus. Rather, he revealed that he was going to join his boyhood club, marking 20 years since Parma was sold to Juventus in 2001. Buffon made his first appearance on Sunday in 2021, conceding a late equalizer in a 2–2 draw against Frosinone.

Buffon became the first goalkeeper in men's association football to maintain 500 clean sheets (322 with Parma, nine with PSG, and 77 with Italy) on February 5, 2022. Parma announced on February 28th that Buffon's contract extension until 2024 would keep him playing until the age of 46.

International career

Buffon has represented Italy at various youth levels, from the under-16 to the under-23 side, as well as the Olympic team in 1996. With the Italy under-16s, he reached the final of the 1993 UEFA European Under-16 Championship, saving two penalties and even scoring one himself in the quarter-final shootout victory over Czechoslovakia. He appeared at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Japan with the Italy U-17 team. He reached the final of the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 1995 with the Italian U-19 team. He was the most notable player of Italy's 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship-winning squad. Buffon was a member of the Italy squad that lifted the gold medal for football at the 1997 Mediterranean Games in Bari on home soil. Buffon holds the Italian national record for the most clean sheets.

On October 29, 1997, Buffon was granted his first cap for Italy's senior team under Cesare Maldini, 19 years and 274 days), as an injury substitute for Gianluca Pagliuca during the first leg of the 1998 World Cup qualification play-off against Russia in Moscow; with this cap, he became the youngest goalkeeper to play for Italy post-World War II. Gianluigi Donnarumma set a new record on September 1, 2016. Buffon played in the 31st minute and made some good saves under snowy conditions, including an important stop from a Dmitri Alenichev shot that was only defeated by a Fabio Cannavaro own goal. The result enabled Italy to qualify for the forthcoming World Cup 2–1 on aggregate. He was a member of the 1998 World Cup team, first as the third choice goalkeeper after a traumatic injury to starting goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi, but Buffon was voted second-choice goalkeeper behind Pagliuca, with Francesco Toldo named third-choice in the tournament. In the quarter-finals on penalties to the hosts and eventual 1998 World Cup champions France, Italy was disqualified.

Buffon was the first choice goalkeeper during Euro 2000 qualifying tournament, and under new owner and former Italy goalkeeping legend Dino Zoff, the goalkeeper was supposed to start in goal in a 1–0 loss to Norway in a warm-up game just a few days before Italy's first match of the tournament against Turkey. With Francesco Antonioli promoted to second goalkeeper, his starting position was taken by backup goalkeeper Francesco Toldo, and Christian Abbiati was called up as a replacement third keeper. Italy reached the final of the tournament, losing to France once more.

Francesco Toldo's outstanding performances at Euro 2000 earned him his place in Italy's 2002 World Cup qualifying campaign. Despite heavy competition from Toldo, Buffon's fourth match of the qualification series, the starting goalkeeper for the remaining four games under Giovanni Trattoni was recalled, as Italy qualified with an unbeaten record.

Buffon was on full throttle during Italy's 2002 World Cup campaign, starting with a clean sheet against Ecuador and saving a controversial penalty against South Korea in the round of 16, which was not enough to prevent the under-performing team from being eliminated by a golden goal in extra time. He appeared in every match at Euro 2004, and Denmark lost by a 0–0 draw with Denmark, but Italy, despite not losing a match, collapsed and was eliminated in the first round on direct encounters following a three-way, five-point tie with Sweden and Denmark.

As Italy placed first in their 2006 World Cup qualifying group, Buffon was once more the first choice goalkeeper under his former Juventus coach and Tratoni's replacement Marcello Lippi. Despite his participation in the 2006 Calciopoli scandal, he was later identified by Lippi as Italy's starting goalkeeper for the tournament.

Buffon was in excellent form during the 2006 World Cup finals, conceding only two goals in seven games and keeping five clean sheets. In addition,, he recorded a 453-minute scoring streak, just 64 minutes shy of compatriot Walter Zenga's all-time unbeaten record from the 1990 World Cup. In Italy's second match of the group stage, he conceded were not in open play; an own goal by teammate Cristian Zaccardo after a free-kick against the United States in Italy's second match of the tournament; and a Zinedine Zidane penalty in the final against France. Buffon made an important save in extra time on a header from eventual Golden Ball winner Zidane, which Buffon later described as the best save of his career. After extra time, the game was 1–1 and was followed by a penalty shootout in which neither Buffon nor Fabien Barthez saved a spot kick. David Trezeguet's effort, which came from the bottom of the crossbar and failed to cross the line, gave Italy's Fabio Grosso the victory over Italy. In Italy's 1–0 victory over Australia in the round of 16, Buffon was named Man of the Match, and later was named on the Tournament's best goalkeeper, despite producing 40 saves. In the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year, Buffon came in second second, second, and eighth in the FIFA World Player of the Year awards for his 2006 debut, while others in the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year were named in the 2006 FIFA World Player of the Year and the 2006 UEFA Team of the Year. Buffon's save against Lukas Podolski in Italy's 2–0 victory over the semi-finals as one of the best in World Cup history, placing it at number nine in his list of "World Cup's top ever saves" list. In 2019, Diario AS ranked the former in their series of "The 10 greatest saves of all time."

In a 2–0 home win over Italy under new manager Roberto Donadoni, Buffon wore the captain's armband for the first time under new Italian head coach Roberto Donadoni in a Euro 2008 qualifier, due to regular skipper Fabio Cannavaro's suspension. He was later promoted to Italy's second acting captain for Euro 2008 after incumbent Cannavaro was forced out of the tournament due to sickness, and Italy's replacement captain Alessandro Del Piero was often deployed as a replacement. On June 9, he made his first appearance as Italy's captain in the country's first game of Euro 2008, defeating the Netherlands 3–0. He saved Adrian Mutu's 81st-minute penalty to keep Italy's hopes alive in the second game of the group stage against Romania on June 13th. In the final group game, Buffon maintained a clean sheet against France, earning acclaim in the media for a pivotal save against Karim Benzema, as Italy defeated France 2–0 to advance to the quarter-finals. Italy was disqualified nine days later when extra time resulted in a 4–2 shootout loss to eventual champions Spain; Buffon saved one penalty in the shootout and was named Team of the Tournament for his efforts.

Buffon was named as the starting goalkeeper following Marcello Lippi's return. During Italy's humiliating 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup campaign in South Africa, where the team finished third in their group in a three-way three-point tie. He appeared in three group matches. In a friendly match against the Netherlands on November 14, he earned his 100th cap. He was a key player in Italy's World Cup qualifying campaign, finishing ranked in their group, undefeated.

In Italy's 1–1 draw in the first group stage match against Paraguay, Buffon was forced to leave at halftime because of a sciatic nerve disorder. Federico Marchetti had him out of the tournament for the fourth time and was recalled by Federico Marchetti. It was disappointing that they failed to win a match and finished last in their group with only two points earned. Lippi was forced to leave Italy after the country's premature withdrawal from the World Cup.

Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro's international retirement, became the new captain of the national team under new coach Cesare Prandelli. In a 1–1 friendly draw against Germany in Dortmund on February 9, 2011, Buffon played his first game as Italy's official captain after recovering from a back injury. Buffon defeated Slovenia 1-0, establishing the new record for the most minutes without conceding a single goal in European Championship qualifying matches, setting a new record for the first time without conceding a single goal in 644 minutes; Italy also qualified for Euro 2012. Buffon won a European qualifier against Northern Ireland 3–0 on October 11th, earning him his 100th international appearance; he said, "I feel I'm entering the football nobility today and I'm proud to celebrate this moment while still playing." Buffon won more caps for Italy (112), putting him behind only former Italian captains Cannavaro and Paolo Maldini in Italy's upcoming friendly match against the United States on November 15, 2011. After leading his national team to qualify for the tournament undefeated and losing two goals, he was then named Italy's starting goalkeeper and captain for Euro 2012.

During the entire tournament, Buffon served as captain. In the third group stage match and against England, he kept a clean sheet against the Republic of Ireland and England, saving a vital penalty from Ashley Cole in the quarter-final shootout, in which he was voted Man of the match. Buffon made several crucial saves in the semi-final match against Germany, but only after being defeated by a penalty from Mesut zil in the 92nd minute. Italy defeated defending European and World champions Spain 21-0, with whom Italy had drawn 1–1 in the first group stage match, only having conceded three goals; Spain had lost by 3 goals; Italy had previously won the 2010 World Cup, as Spain had previously defeated Spain. In the final, Italy was defeated 4–0 for their third straight major title and second straight European Championship title. For his performances, Buffon was once more named to the Team of the Tournament.

Buffon earned his 126th cap for Italy on March 26, 2013, equaling Paolo Maldini's number for the national team. Buffon saved a penalty from Michael Mifsud in the same match, helping Italy defeat Italy 21-0 away from victory.

Buffon was selected in the Italian squad for the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil and played in every match of the tournament as captain. He appeared in Italy's opening 2–1 win over Mexico on June 16, 2013, where he was only defeated by a Javier Hernández penalty. In the second game against Japan on June 19, the referee awarded Shinji Okazaki a point in the 20th minute of the first half when he announced that Buffon had brought down Shinji Okazaki after a misplaced back pass by Mattia De Sciglio; Buffon had been sent down by Buffon after a misplaced back pass; Buffon was given a yellow card. For the first time, Italy's rematch of the Euro 2012 finals would have allowed them to progress to the semi-finals of the tournament for the first time. They lost 7–6 in the resulting penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw. Despite the fact that both Buffon and Spanish counterpart Iker Casillas had been able to keep a clean sheet during the match, neither goalkeeper was able to stop a penalty in the shootout; the lone goal was hit over bar. Following extra time, Italy defeated Uruguay 32-0 in the third place shootout. Buffon saved three penalties, three of which were taken by Diego Forlán, Juventus teammate Martn Cáceres, and Walter Gargano.

Buffon was selected in Italy's 31-man preliminary World Cup squad by Cesare Prandelli on May 12th, and he was named starting goalkeeper and captain in the final squad on May 31. Italy was grouped in Group D of death, or "team of champions" in Group D, with Costa Rica, England, and Uruguay. Buffon became the third member of five World Cup squads, tying the records held by Mexican goalkeeper Antonio Carbajal and German footballer Lothar Matthäus. Buffon was not allowed to begin with Italy's first match of the World Cup against England on June 14, 2014, due to an ankle injury suffered in preparation; Salvatore Siri replaced him. In his absence, Andrea Pirlo captained the team as Italy defeated the team 2–1.

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