Gianluigi Buffon spent more than a decade as a goalkeeper for Juventus and the Italy national team before retiring from professional football. The Italian was regarded as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, and many top goalkeepers today consider him the player who inspired them to take up that position. Buffon’s career spanned more than two decades, and despite retiring, he is still celebrated for his legendary performances, many of which came well into his 40s.
Over his long career, Buffon has faced all types of footballers trying to score, and he has denied some of them with breathtaking saves. Fans can recall numerous quality saves that made their jaws drop, and many Juventus supporters would expect him to highlight several saves made during his time with the club as his best. Buffon’s incredible reflexes, calmness under pressure, and consistency throughout his career cemented his status as a world-class goalkeeper.
Recently, the 47-year-old was asked about his best saves during his career, and in an interview with Tuttojuve, he reflected on some of his most memorable moments between the posts. He said:
“It was definitely the one in the World Cup final on Zidane’s header. Instead the most beautiful, the most difficult, then… I made one in the Champions Cup final against Milan on Inzaghi’s header; I made one in the Champions Cup against Lyon; another in the national team in a friendly in Parma between Italy and Paraguay. These are the three that I remember well, then I forgot some others.”
Buffon’s ability to recall these incredible saves speaks to the sheer quality and variety of moments he experienced throughout his illustrious career. Of course, it’s no surprise that picking a single “best” save would be a challenge for such an experienced goalkeeper, as his career was filled with remarkable performances that defined his legacy.
With a career spanning over two decades, Buffon’s memorable saves from World Cup finals, Champions League encounters, and countless domestic league matches have solidified his place as one of football’s greatest ever goalkeepers. Even though Buffon may have forgotten a few of his stunning saves, the ones he remembers are enough to remind us why he remains a revered figure in world football. We certainly expected him to struggle to pick just one save as the best during his career, given the incredible number of performances he produced over the years.
