Gianluigi Buffon

Gianluigi Buffon

Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, (born 28 January 1978 in Carrara, Italy), is a FIFA World Cup-winning Italian goalkeeper who is currently the Captain for both Serie A club Juventus and the Italian National Team. He is widely considered by experts to be one of the most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history. He is known for his "outstanding shot-stopping" and for being "a vocal organizer of the defence and a key dressing room personality."

Buffon was declared by Pelé to be one of the 125 greatest living footballers in the world. He has been named the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year a record eight times and was the winner of the 2006 Yashin Award following Italy's World Cup victory, in which Buffon was also elected to be part of the Team of the Tournament; an honour which he also received after reaching the final of the 2012 European Championships. Buffon is the only goalkeeper to have won the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year Award, which he won in 2003; he also won the award for best Goalkeeper that year and was voted into the UEFA Team of the Year in 2003, 2004 and 2006. In 2006, Buffon also placed second in the Ballon d'Or and was elected to be part of the FIFPro World XI in 2006 and 2007.

He has been named the IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) goalkeeper of the year four times and was named goalkeeper of the 21st century and of the decade by the same organisation.