Italy Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon Retires Aged 45

Former Italy goalkeeper and World Cup winner Gianluigi Buffon has retired from football aged 45.

He wrote on social media: “That’s all folks. You gave me everything. I gave you everything. We did it together.”

Buffon brings an end to a 28-year career that saw him lift the World Cup in 2006 along with 10 Serie A titles with Juventus and Ligue 1 with Paris St-Germain.

He ends his career where it began in 1995, at Parma, now a Serie B club.

Buffon, who had a deal with Parma until 2024, made 19 appearances last season as he struggled with injuries.

He began his career at Parma’s academy and made his Serie A debut for the club in November 1995 before joining Juventus in 2001 in a £32.6m deal – a world record for a goalkeeper at the time.

Buffon spent most of his career in Turin, despite a stint at PSG in 2018-19. In total he made a record 657 appearances in the Italian top flight and is the most-capped goalkeeper of all time with 176 appearances for Italy.

Buffon retired from international football in 2018 after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup that year.

His career highlight was winning the World Cup as Italy beat France 5-3 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in Berlin.