Legendary Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon announced his retirement from football on Wednesday at 45.
In an emotional announcement post on social media, Buffon wrote:
“That’s all, folks! You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together.”
The goalkeeper won a staggering 10 Serie A titles with Juventus but ended his stellar career back where it all started at Parma.
At Parma, he won his only European club trophy — the 1999 UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) — but retires without a Champions League winners medal, having lost three times in the final with Juventus.
Buffon also won a Ligue 1 crown at Paris Saint Germain in the 2018/19 season before returning to Juventus for two more years.
Buffon holds the record for most Serie A matches contested (657) and is the most capped player in Italy’s history with 176 (1997-2018).
That encompassed five World Cups, which included the title of winning it in 2006 — beating France on penalties but bowed out in the first round four years later.
