Legendary keeper Buffon hangs up gloves after 28 years

Thomson Reuters

Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has retired from football, the 45-year-old announced on Wednesday, after 28 years in which he reached exceptional milestones for club and country.

Buffon, who in 2006 lifted the World Cup, won 10 Serie A titles with Juventus and a Ligue 1 title with Paris St Germain.

"That's all folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together," Buffon said in a statement.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest keepers of all time, he ended his career where he started, at Parma who are in the Italian second tier, having struggled with injuries in his final season.

Buffon joined Juve from Parma in 2001 and spent most of his career with the club, except for a season at PSG in 2018-19, before returning to Turin and then to Parma in June 2021.

Buffon began his career in Parma's youth system in 1991 aged 13, initially playing in midfield before adapting to the role of goalkeeper due to his height and physical attributes.

He made his Serie A debut for Parma in a goalless draw against AC Milan in November 1995 at the age of 17.

Buffon played a record 657 times in the Italian top flight and was Uefa Club Footballer of the Year in 2003.

He is the most capped goalkeeper of all time, having played 176 times for Italy.

He retired from international football in 2018 after Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.