Legendary Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has bid farewell to football, announcing his retirement at the age of 45 on Wednesday (August 2), culminating a 28-year career filled with outstanding achievements for both club and country.
The football icon, who famously lifted the World Cup in 2006, secured an impressive 10 Serie A titles with Juventus and a Ligue 1 title with Paris St Germain.
In a heartfelt statement, Buffon expressed his gratitude to the sport and its fans, saying, "That's all folks! You gave me everything, and I gave you everything. We accomplished it together."
That's all folks!You gave me everything.I gave you everything.We did it together. pic.twitter.com/bGvIDsoFsG
— Gianluigi Buffon (@gianluigibuffon) August 2, 2023
The player holds the distinction of being the most capped goalkeeper in the history of the sport, making 176 appearances for the Italian national team.
Hailed as one of the greatest keepers of all time, Buffon concluded his career where it all began—at Parma, currently competing in the Italian second tier.
His final season was plagued by injuries, but this did not overshadow his remarkable contributions to the sport. After starting his professional journey with Parma in 1991, Buffon's talent saw him transition from a midfielder to a goalkeeper, thanks to his imposing height and physical attributes.
Following his stint at Parma, Buffon made a pivotal move to Juventus in 2001, where he enjoyed the majority of his career, with the exception of a brief spell at PSG in 2018-19. The iconic goalkeeper returned to Turin and later rejoined Parma in June 2021, a fitting end to his football journey.
Kylian Mbappe, who shared the field with Buffon during his time at Paris St Germain, paid a touching tribute to the veteran.
On the messaging platform X (previously Twitter), Mbappe conveyed, "It's a huge honor for me to have had the chance to rub shoulders with you and cross paths with your legendary career. (You are) a man of gold with invaluable advice that I will carry with me for the rest of my life."
Un immense honneur pour moi d’avoir eu la chance de te côtoyer et croiser la route de ta carrière légendaire.Un homme en or avec des précieux conseils que je garderai avec moi toute ma vie.Bonne route et surtout MERCI 🇮🇹👑@gianluigibuffon pic.twitter.com/u3x9X2ARHl
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) August 2, 2023
Buffon's Serie A career spanned a record-breaking 657 appearances, and was the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year award in 2003. He retired from international football in 2018 after Italy's unfortunate failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
In response to the news of Buffon's retirement, Serie A praised the exceptional career of this remarkable man, labeling him one of the world's most celebrated players.
"Time has been called on what is simply an exceptional career, an exceptional man and one of the world’s most celebrated players," Serie A said in a post.
Time has been called on what is simply an exceptional career, an exceptional man and one of the world's most celebrated players 🥲Best of luck in what comes, @gianluigibuffon ❤️ pic.twitter.com/3QVCbnrtlV
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) August 2, 2023
Many other football figures, like Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci, took to social media to express their gratitude and admiration for Buffon's immeasurable impact on the sport.
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