Italian legend Gianluigi Buffon will retire from professional football after 28 years in the sport, as announced by the Italian media. The player is expected to make the announcement official in the coming days.
As the last representative of the old generation, Gianluigi Buffon is hanging up his boots. The Italian goalkeeper has decided to end his professional career after 28 years in the sport. The news, which was leaked on social media, was confirmed by journalist Fabrizio Romano and the media outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, and relayed by Foot Mercato. The former captain of Juventus is expected to formalize his decision in a statement on his social media accounts in the next few days.
Buffon has been playing for his hometown club of Parma in Serie B since 2021. The team narrowly missed promotion to the top division, losing in the playoffs to Cagliari (2-3), where the 2006 World Cup champion suffered an injury in the first half. The former PSG goalkeeper also reportedly turned down a lucrative transfer to Saudi Arabia in order to end his playing career.
An impressive and illustrious career Buffon made a name for himself on the world stage during his glorious spell at Juventus Turin, where he played for 17 consecutive seasons before returning after a stint at PSG in 2018. His trophy cabinet includes 10 Italian championships, 6 Italian Cups, and a World Cup, which was won in 2006 against France. The Italian “mammoth” holds the record for the most appearances for the Italian national team (176 caps), the most Serie A matches played (657), and is also the goalkeeper with the most nominations for the Ballon d’Or.
